


A 'Second' Chance

by Mac_Northsea



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/F, Post Season 3 AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-20
Updated: 2015-03-20
Packaged: 2018-03-18 18:47:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 24
Words: 86,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3580080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mac_Northsea/pseuds/Mac_Northsea
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"You did this," were the words that Regina spoke to Emma when she lost her happiness one more time. Could Emma somehow fix their tentative friendship and forge something new, perhaps stronger? Or were they fated to always be enemies? As Emma needed to go to New York to deal with things, Henry suggested they all took a break from Storybrooke, just not in those words...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

After a half an hour spent deliberating before the wrought iron gate in front of the white towering mansion, Emma reached for the knob and opened it, knowing that she was courting quite possibly her death, danger for her limbs at the very least. But, she had to admit, it had been her fault things were the way they were, and a price needed to be paid. If she hadn't done what she did, or if she had tried harder to obey the rules, there would be no need for her to stand there, in fear for her life, cowered and humbled before the mansion of the illustrious Madame Mayor, the former Evil Queen, expecting the woman herself to launch a fireball attack against her. After all, Regina had chased Snow throughout the Realm because of happiness destroyed. What would she do the second time?

Days had gone by since that day everything had changed, and Emma had yet to see Regina. The only connection the woman had with the others was Henry - and the teenage boy was at his wits' end with his mother's cold and unfeeling front that covered deep pain, disappointment and betrayal, and Emma's tremulous and guilty countenance was putting him on edge. And, he had put his foot down that morning, refusing to spend another day in their company until they talk. "She is not sleeping, Emma," he had said as he had watched his blonde mother eat her scrambled eggs for breakfast, ignoring her startled choke caused by his sudden burst. "And, she barely smiles anymore." He, then, had placed his hands on the white surface of the counter, the force of his move making the palms slap against the chipped paint of the wood, refusing to acknowledge Emma's weak rebuttals and whining. "You need to fix this. Do something." The pointed stare he had given Emma, so alike the burning gaze of his adopted mother had been the threat enough for the blonde to shut up and strap on what little of courage she had and direct herself toward the home of the person she had hurt beyond any conceivable point.

And, the worst thing was - she was kind of glad that the scruffy thief walked away from Regina. The woman deserved much better than that wood dwelling criminal. She hadn't forgotten the jealousy that had stricken her at the brilliant smile Regina had sported that morning at the B'n'B. And the scowl she had barely managed to hide at Mary Margaret's comment. She could not but believe that the proud brunette was much better without  _him_  in her life.

But, it did not change the fact that Emma did regret the events, if only for putting that sadness and dullness into the brown eyes she knew better than anyone. She was sorry for the pain she had caused. Most of all, she regretted the fact that her name had joined the ever growing list of people who had failed Regina in her life. During their adventures in Neverland, and subsequently the Pan's curse, the two of them had formed a tacit, dared she say, alliance and camaraderie, as they were united in one goal, saving and protecting their son. But, later, when Emma had been brought to Storybrooke to be the Savior once more, the two of them had experienced their relationship shift into something more friendly and fulfilling. The magic practice, the verbal sparring that was comparatively milder than before but much more playful and teasing, the investigation and planning of downfall of the Wicked Witch – it all had brought them closer together, and the evening at Granny's, sharing their dinner and laughing at a story or a teasing joke had not been a rare occurrence. So, when the events of that cursed day enfolded and the revelation of Marian being still alive, Emma had seen the emotional pain it had caused to the woman she cared about, and she had felt it herself as she had watched Regina storm out of the diner.

With a fortifying inhalation of breath, Emma raised her hand and knocked on the door, right beneath the large number 108, listening to the sounds from inside. Shortly, the familiar stride of feet in heels could be heard from the other side of the door, right before the door opened, revealing the mistress of the house herself.

"Can we talk?" Emma spoke after Regina only lifted her eyebrow in demand of the excuse why the Savior was right in front of her door.

"We have nothing to talk about, Miss Swan. Now, vacate my property." Regina spoke curtly and the coldness of her tone could not be mistaken, but the usual fire and defiance was gone, and it saddened Emma greatly. It was strange to see Regina so defeated and resigned. Reaching for the woman, the blonde tried to speak again.

"Regina, please," Emma begged, standing in front of the other woman worrying her hands.

"Please what, Miss Swan? Please listen to you grovel for a few moments and all shall be forgiven? I'll think not." Turning away to close the door, the brunette dismissed the woman before her, slamming the door into the face of the Savior.

For a moment, Emma stood before the closed door, her shoulders hunched in remorse. She lifted her hand again but she did not knock this time. No, it would only serve to infuriate the Mayor further damaging even more their crumbling relationship. She pressed her palm on the polished wood and leaned her head against the hard and cold surface, wishing she could make Regina understand. "I am truly sorry," she spoke against the door, needing to say the words, even though the woman the message was intended for was not there, her voice shaking and quiet. "I never wanted to cause you pain. Far from it." With those words out of her mouth, she straightened up and sighed, her determination clear that even though this particular plan hadn't worked, she would strive to appease the hard ass woman, and possibly get her co-parenting friend back. But, it would seem that there was a long road before her, and Emma affirmed her decision, knowing that she would not stop until Regina was happy again. Her choice, if there was any choice in the matter, already picked, the blonde stepped away from the mansion and walked away, thinking about her next step.

Little she did know that the woman she was trying to apologize to was standing right beside the door, stunned by the quiet words spoken by the Savior and the earnestness in them. And, more, she was surprised by the unconscious bit of remnant magic that the blonde had displayed as she had touched the door. Transference of someone's thoughts and emotions via touch was a hard and difficult piece of magic, and doing it with a barrier in the way, without even realizing it, should have been downright impossible. Especially impossible and beyond realms of imaginable, when the practitioner had been stripped of her magic by another powerful magical practitioner. But the blonde had a knack for doing the impossible, Regina thought, some trace of wryness tingeing her inner voice. Pushing away from the door, she walked into her dining room, her hands automatically reaching for her cider as she tried to muddle through the jumbled confusing piece of weak and tremulous magic she had received.

Emma walked toward her bug and drove herself toward the bed and breakfast, formulating of another way to talk to Regina. She knew that Henry wasn't in their room, but at Mary Margaret's, fawning over his uncle, named after his father. She also knew that he would stay there until Emma fixed his mother, as he had succinctly put that morning. Looking forward to the empty room, she thought about a hot shower before diving in into the intricacies of her plan.

"Hey, Swan!"

Oh, damn it, she was almost in her room. Stopping herself from banging her head on the door, she affixed a false smile and turned around, her mind already working overtime to think of another excuse to escape from her company. But before she could even open her mouth, the pirate came to her, his pale blue eyes narrowed in a fierce scowl as he stared at her, lifting his hook to her chin.

"You've been avoiding me, Swan, and I want to know why." Deftly he reached for the knob behind her and pushed the door open, making her go in as he stepped forward. "No more dodging or fibbing, just give it to me straight, love." Closing the door behind him with his good hand, he looked at Emma, as he leaned against the wood, his countenance clear that she wouldn't be able to leave past him without causing some grave injury.

The blonde looked at him, angry for his nerve to push her in, but at the yearning look in his eyes, she felt all the fight leave her, snuffled out like a candle in the gale. She had been unfair to him, and it was time to fix it. Apparently, it was a time to fix many things. "Killian," she started, but nothing else came out, as she needed to think of a way of telling him the truth. But what was the truth? Did she really know it herself? Pacing in the small space of her room, she tried to speak but each time something would stop her, making her seem like a fish out of water.

"Is this about Neal? Do you need more time?" Hook asked after a while, not wanting to watch her work herself up into frenzy.

"What? No!" Emma exclaimed, her head swiveling to him so fast that she might have given herself a whiplash. "This has nothing to do with Neal. I just…" She sighed as she dropped into one of the arm chairs, bringing her hand to her eyes, annoyed that they were tingling. "I don't think this is working out, Hook."

"I gather, but I want to know why?" He saw something flicker in her eyes, a hidden pain she did not reveal to anyone. He leaned back and thought about the past several days. She had started avoiding him just after the announcement of her brother's name, so he naturally thought that her reluctance to be with him was due to her former love. But, the only other thing that had happened was that thing with Regina and the girl from the past, Marian, was it… Oh. Regina… Of course. He closed his eyes in understanding, as his insides dropped into his feet. "Regina," he said aloud with resignation and watched the color leave Emma's face as the fear of him knowing something filled the green eyes. There always had been something between those two, a tension of sorts. First, it was due to competition, or so he heard. Then, it was the good versus evil thing, and Cora's involvement, in which he had or had not participated. But, then, there was the whole deal in Neverland. He had seen the looks and the understanding that those two had shared. Emma and he might have kissed, but the blonde shared something far more precious with the former Evil Queen on that cursed island. A part of her soul. And then, in the town created by the new curse, the women spent inordinately much time together, working on the case, as the blonde would have said to her teenage son. Hook could wait for her to get over her dead love. He could even prove to her that he wouldn't abandon her or hurt her. But, he couldn't be part of what Regina and Emma shared. He couldn't compete with that, and there was where he realized he had lost her. However, he could not be angry with Emma, for he knew that she hadn't been aware of her feelings for long. In fact, he was absolutely sure that only since that evening she had an idea about her feelings toward the mother of her son.

"How long?" he asked softly, moving away from the door, not able to look at her, somehow knowing that she was looking at him with worried eyes. "How long have you had feelings for her?" He tried to keep his desperation and loss out of his tone, his end result making him sound cold and lifeless. But at least it did not break in the middle of the words. It would be indeed a bad form for a pirate.

"I always had some kind of feelings for her, ever since I came here." Emma rose from her chair, coming closer to him as if he was a wounded animal, her hands in front of her, but her elbows tucked in into her sides. "But, this, I don't know. I am not sure even what this is."

Killian glanced toward her and scoffed gently, amused with her dense behavior even though his heart was breaking. But, such was the nature of love, was it not? You wanted the best for the person you love, even making her see the sense. "Of course you are, love. You are just afraid." He whispered, his hand coming to her, the gentle fingers reaching for suddenly wet cheek. "Just like you were afraid to stay here, with your parents." He drew himself right in front of her, so he could smell her perfume and the ever present scent of coffee and chocolate. "Henry told me about the moping," he added softly, not disappointed by her reaction.

"I don't mope!"

"You feel guilty because of this. But, it is more than that, isn't it? It's like your own heart has been taken out of your chest and crushed before your very eyes?" He continued to speak softly, his words derived rather out of personal experience than his conclusion on her behavior, and Emma seemed to understand that, her eyes growing more sad and sympathetic as she looked into his eyes. "You know what this is. You know why this matters to you so much. And, I understand that." He gently guided her head lower before he kissed her forehead in good bye, for he indeed did understand the pull Emma was feeling toward the former Evil Queen. "I need to clear my head. It would be best if I don't see you for a while, love." Then, he regarded her eyes sadly, seeing the sorrow and apology so clearly in them, that the earnest regret Emma held in her eyes was causing him pain. He needed to leave. However, he would not punish the people around them for their failure. "But, Henry is always welcome to meet me, if he wishes. Good luck." He kissed her one more time, before he quickly walked toward the door and out of the room, disappearing before she could even formulate her own response.

Sinking into the chair that had held her curves just minutes before, Emma shuddered at the storm of emotion that raged against her battered heart. The words the pirate had so wisely spoken reverberated in her mind, bringing forth the headache that had been threatening to appear for days now. What a mess… And this too was her fault, for she was the one who had known that Killian loved her, because Regina of all people had brought it to her attention. She remembered that day as if it was just a day before.

_They were talking about Henry when the name of his babysitter came up. With Hook in their conversation, Emma felt the need to defend him to the protective mother in the Mayor._

_"Oh, of course he brought_ you _back," Regina said, her scoff evident as she searched through one of the chests in her vault, looking for something to start teaching Emma the magic._

_"What's that supposed to mean?" the blonde asked as she placed her hands on her hips, suddenly feeling very defensive._

_"Seriously?" Regina spoke with disbelief as she turned to look at Emma, her eyebrows going up in surprise. At Emma's persistent glare and small incline of her head, the brunette continued with exasperation in her tone. "You're going to pretend everyone doesn't see the yearning looks and doe-y eyes?"_

_"I don't yearn," Emma replied softly but her voice sharp, irritated by the assumption and implication in the woman's voice._

_"Well, maybe," Regina replied, focusing onto the woman in front of her, before she pointedly lowered her voice, her whole face involved in accentuation of her speech of the next words, "but,_ he _does." Then she turned back to the chest holding her things, picking up the book of spells, deftly changing the subject as she directed Emma to try to read the Elvish on the page._

Later, actually on the same day of the announcement of the new royal baby, Hook had told her what he had sacrificed to get to her in time, and it was then that Emma had reached for the man, kissing him, flattered beyond measure as she knew what Jolly Roger had meant to him. But, she had known, even then that she did not feel the same way as he did. For her, he had been nothing but a pleasant distraction, a way to spend her days as she had been growing used to having a large family again. However, she had never loved Killian, and now she knew why.

She needed to talk to someone who would possibly be able to help her. Someone who knew and understood Regina in the ways she didn't. Someone, who had known the woman in question when the first loss had occurred. And that someone was her mother, Snow White. Deciding to take a little nap and a shower before meeting with her parents, she sent a text announcing her presence in the afternoon at their loft, telling the new mother that she needed to talk about Regina. A quick and short reply came only seconds after, confirming the date, and then, Emma clambered into the bed, not bothering to take off any of her clothes beside boots, drawing the blanket over her and sinking into a short dreamless sleep.


	2. Chapter 2

"Mom? Dad?" Emma called softly out as she opened the door to the loft where she had used to live before the annulment of the curse, mindful of the child in the house that was probably sleeping.

"In here," she heard a soft whisper from Mary Margaret's bedroom and she walked slowly toward the closed off space, stepping carefully on the wooden floor avoiding the creaking boards. Peeking in the room she saw her mother sitting on the bed, the newborn in her arms as he slept peacefully in the cradle of her arms. Snow looked up from her son to her grown daughter and smiled in welcome. "Come, sit by me," the brunette spoke gently as she shifted her body toward the side of the bed, leaving plenty of space for the fidgeting woman to sit. Watching Emma take off her boots, Snow took in the dark circles beneath her eyes, the nervous tension radiating of the woman and reluctant moves as the woman settled on the bed beside her. "Would you like to hold him?"

Emma nodded as she smiled tenderly at the boy in her mother's arms, taking him up gently into her own. "Hey, Neal," the blonde murmured softly into his forehead, nuzzling the tender skin there instead of kissing it. "He is beautiful," she then spoke a bit louder, but still quiet as she watched the sleeping child in her hands.

"Yes, he is. So is his sister." Ignoring the tense silence her announcement caused, Snow drew herself closer to the blonde, leaning into her side as she placed her chin onto the strong shoulder, not taking her eyes of the newborn. She knew that it was somewhat irrational fear, now that the threat was gone, but she just couldn't bear to leave him, afraid that she would lose him if she moved away from him. "You wanted to talk?" she inquired gently after a while, as the silence settled over them. She was more than pleased to spend time with the blonde, even in quietude, just watching over the boy, but she knew that Emma had a purpose, and having Henry over since that morning had meant she knew very well what it was about.

"Where are David and Henry?" Emma asked, glancing toward the brunette as she offered the child back to his mother, not willing to expose her brother to her stressed nerves more than necessary. In her surprise, Snow did not move away, just settled more comfortably against her as she placed the slumbering child onto the duvet, her palm resting on his tummy.

"They went out." She knew that she needed to elaborate on that, so she did not wait for the raised eyebrows or tipped head. "David had some business at the station, and I asked him to look after Henry, as I thought that he might not want to be here for this."

"How much did the kid tell you?"

Mary Margaret looked at the tired eyes, so alike her own and smiled sadly. "Not much, just that he was punishing you for messing up – his words." Then she nudged the blonde gently as she continued. "I was there when it happened. And, I saw her." She did not need to say what exactly she had seen, as Snow was very well aware that Emma knew, perhaps better than anyone, what Regina had been thinking in that moment.

"I screwed up." Emma lowered her head, letting it hang as she drew her knees up, throwing her arms around them. "But, I couldn't leave her there, in the dungeons. Not when I knew she would have been killed." Even to her own ears the justification seemed weak, but her sense of right and wrong would never let her turn her back on a person in need. That was what it meant to be the Savior, right?

"Emma, you went back in time, to something that had already happened years before you were even born. I am not saying that what you did was wrong, but there are always consequences in dealing with magic. Always." Snow placed her free hand onto her daughter's knee in support. "You were lucky enough that you didn't change the past." Then she looked at the blonde with a pointed look. "Much - princess Leia." The teasing tone mixed in with the scolding look Snow directed at Emma, her point clear. "But, you did change the present, brought forth some events that perhaps shouldn't have happened."

"I just couldn't let an innocent woman suffer…" Emma murmured softly as she considered her mother's words, frown twisting her face.

"Let's be clear on something, Emma," Snow spoke calmly but all the royalty evident in her poise and voice, the commanding tone making the other woman snap to attention. "She had done a plenty despicable things and murdered many innocents in her rampage against me, but Regina never tolerated lawlessness either. Some of those people in the dungeons very well deserved to be there. And, technically, by the law of our kingdom, she had every right to demand my head, and to kill all those people for treason. It was wrong, from a moral stand, but perfectly legal."

"What?"

"And, if anything she did right it was her persecution of the criminals," Snow continued, ignoring Emma's surprised gasp and look. "She was the only royal who punished rapists in our land. The only one who didn't tolerate the crooked tax collectors. In some ways, Regina was a decent monarch." Snow sighed in consideration, able to see her former nemesis as something more than just an enemy.

"How can you say that? She slaughtered the entire village!" Emma pushed of the bed, struggling to keep her voice down. "She was going to kill you. I watched you burn at the stake!"

"Emma, you forget, this was the way of our world. I killed people too. Many of them were just the soldiers following orders of their superiors, people with families, children… Ruby killed an entire village, as well. Graham was a killer by trade. You were willing to kill in Neverland." Snow then sighed and leaned against the headboard, watching her daughter pace before the bed, giving her a moment to absorb her words. But as minutes passed, the brunette saw that her daughter seemed to grow even more agitated than before.

"She has changed so much in the last two years. Undoing the curse and letting go of Henry, and you, took a lot out of her. Robin had come to me, worried about her right after we had claimed her castle from Zelena. He said that he knew why she had been so adamant on going alone to lower the shields of the castle, so she would be undeterred from her plan." Snow raised her hand to stop Emma from spewing out the first nonsense out of her mouth in accusation, as she moved along with her story. "As it turned out, she had been so heartbroken and devastated by the loss of her son that she concocted the sleeping curse, the same one she made for David to communicate with us. She had explained her thinking to Robin, having chained him to the floor first so he couldn't interfere, telling him that she would rather suffer the eternal sleep than be without Henry. If not for Zelena's challenge, she would've gone with it, Emma. She would've put herself under the sleeping curse, and as we thought that there was no way for you and Henry to find us, it would've been forever." The brunette watched the emotions play on her daughter's face, sorrow and guilt heavily featured among them. "I should've known she would try something like that, but after our little talk in the forest, I thought…" she murmured almost to herself, loud enough for Emma to hear, but only because she came to sit beside her. At the inquiring look, Mary Margaret leaned onto the blonde's shoulder, smiling when Emma instinctively threw her arm around her, pulling her close, as she had done once or twice when they had been still just friends and roommates.

"When I came here, after the meeting at the Town Hall, she thanked me for believing her," Emma spoke after a while. "She knew that the town would be too quick to turn on her and she spoke of how it could have been some elaborate plan of hers to get Henry back. I don't know if she was joking, teasing me or testing me, but I could see that she was innocent, and I told her as such. Then she said something that had stayed with me and that is why I tried so hard to get Henry to spend time with her. Even though you know I can't live without him, she said, and I could see that it was the absolute truth." Snow noticed the soft traces of affection the blonde held for the adopted mother of her son and she did nothing to stop the gentle smile appearing on her face.

The two women had decided to put their bitter past behind them, and the agreement had been sealed with Regina saving her almost sacrificed son from Zelena and Charming from the death in the Enchanted Forest. However, what no one knew was that the older brunette was a tremendous help with Neal, as she was the only one in the family to have an actual experience in rearing a child. Snow might have been well prepared for a child in the Enchanted Forest, but Regina knew how to do it in the modern world, as well as the tried methods that worked on Henry. Her advice on feeding schedule and soothing techniques were immense help. Once, the sorceress appeared in the loft, after a frantic call from the new mother who hadn't known how to stop Neal from crying, to help Snow deal with the crisis. In those moments, Regina was kind and gentle, but always distant. And with silent agreement they avoided talking about anything except the newborn, lest the Mayor stopped coming altogether. And, one, the most important condition of all was that no one was to know about her assistance, not even Charming.

"What happened in the forest?" the blonde asked, wanting to know more about Mary Margaret's remark from earlier.

"Oh," Snow turned uncomfortably, startled from her thoughts. "She tried to bury her own heart in the ground, in order to escape the pain." At the horrified gasp from her daughter, Snow smiled in comfort. "I convinced her to return it to its proper place, but the sorrow and agony she displayed should have given me a warning that she would try to find another way." She then looked at Emma, her eyes demanding attention, as she needed to make her daughter understand. "Regina feels things deeply, she always has. All of her heart is involved with the passion that is equal to a burning Sun. I know it seems strange to you and David, but she once had the same passion for life as she did for revenge, and that girl was someone I loved."

"Do you think I pushed her over that line?" Emma asked with worry creasing her eyebrows as she looked into the sad eyes of her mother.

"I honestly don't know…" Snow replied, knowing that Emma's concern was valid given their turbulent relationship. "But, she has Henry now and Rumplestiltskin isn't trying to twist her grief for his nefarious purpose." The brunette smiled softly as she took her awakening boy into her arms, her finger tracing his cheek. "And, I think that the absence of a loveless marriage is a plus." Snow wrinkled her nose at the offensive odor of the filled diaper, quickly rising from the bed to change it, going to a changing table in the corner of the separating wall. She also moved to prevent herself from blurting out another secret.

"It's just weird how history keeps repeating itself." Emma remained on the bed, watching her mother deal with the kid's business quickly and in practiced manner. For a moment she felt jealousy toward her brother but it was quickly gone under the pressure of much more important issues.

"Tell me about it…" Snow murmured as she buttoned up the one-piece, taking the already slumbering infant in her arms once again.

With that Emma directed the conversation to other things feeling that she had reached her limit for heavy topic talk, enjoying the general stories Mary Margaret had to tell. It had been a very long time since Emma could just sit down and talk with her mother about non important things. Later in the evening, Henry and David joined them and she stayed for dinner, helping Snow to make it, her new memories providing her with a variety of recipes.

"So, are you staying here, kid, or you're coming with me?" Emma asked as she put on her jacket, ready to leave. She had already prepared herself to go to her rented room alone, as Henry was obviously still angry with her, his speech of 'you don't mess with the time-line' and referencing each argument with a superhero or a movie character to prove his point were the proof enough for her. Not that she could blame the kid for it, as it was her fault.

"No, you know what?" Henry reached for his jacket and red-gray scarf, even though it was not that cold outside. He took out his phone and sent a quick text before he looked up at his blonde mother. "I am going to be at Mom's for a while." His tone was clear that he would not be swayed, so Emma only nodded, opening the door of the loft. With the last glance toward her tired parents and a wave of goodbye she departed, having let Henry get out first.

As Emma had walked to Mary Margaret's place, they took a stroll toward the mansion directly, as it was still early in the evening and Henry suggested the walk.

"You let your mom know you're coming?" the blonde asked, her hands stuffed in her trademark red jacket as she glanced to her boy walking beside her.

"Yeah, she said that I was always welcome to come home," he said, shrugging his shoulders, kicking his feet on the ground. "Did you talk to her?"

"I went by this morning." At the hopeful glance she only shook her head. "She wasn't in the mood to listen and I didn't want to press the issue."

"Yeah…" he agreed, knowing his brunette mother quite well. And that was a somewhat strange thought. He still remembered the false life his mom had given him to make the separation easier, but he also remembered his old life, the life he had shared with Regina. In the days after the curse was broken, he realized that most of his memories with Emma were quite similar to those with Regina. Once he had asked his mother about that, expecting her to give a generalized answer as she would do when he would ask about magic. But, this time she had surprised him.

_"Memory magic is very difficult, Henry," Regina said as she placed the hot chocolate before him and a tea cup in front of her as they sat in the study, enjoying a quiet rainy day together. "You see, it is easy to invent pictures and events, the whole stories, but what makes it tricky is the emotion behind it. Every memory our mind creates carries a specific emotional component that makes it important for us. For example, you remember your first day of school because it was so exciting for you, new experiences and so, but you were also afraid to be that long away from me. Do you understand what I am trying to say?" She sipped her tea as she watched him think it over and nod._

_He noticed her pleased smile that would appear often when they talked, making their conversations precious to him. For a long time he had avoided being in the same room with her, and the passing year had been definitely hard on her, so he tried to do whatever he could to ease that pain. "So, memory magic cannot create proper emotions behind the pictures?" he asked as a prompt for her to go on, holding his chocolate in his hands, careful not to spill._

_"Yes, that is right. It can create some emotion but it is never properly attuned to the event. It's like watching a movie without a soundtrack, or with a completely wrong music. So, when someone uses memory magic, it is always better to use a real memory and just change some of the details. That is why many of memories you had with me are similar to those you have with Emma. I changed the places and faces, but the underlying emotion is the same, making the memories more believable, more authentic."_

_"You taught Emma how to cook," he spoke with a smile. "And how to help me when I am sick." But, then he left the cup on the table, using the coaster she provided, turning his body closer to her, almost nuzzling into her side. "But you never shared your nickname for me with her," he said gently, looking into her dark eyes, seeing a flash of possessive attachment in them, as well as the fierce love she had for him._

_"Some things are just between you and me. It was hard enough for me to send you away, Henry." She spoke, her soft voice shaking with the emotion in it, accepting his comforting hug. "Giving her absolutely everything would erase any hope I would hold that you would come for me some day." She leaned her chin onto his head, closing her eyes, as she pulled him tightly into embrace, not caring that he was kneeling on the expensive sofa with his sneakers still on. "I needed something to be just mine and my own, my little prince." She placed her hand, still warm from the tea cup, on his cheek as she lifted his head up, looking into his hazel eyes, her own alight with unyielding love she held for him._

_He smiled at her and watched as her lips mimicked the motion. "I am glad you kept it for yourself," he said, pulling her back into his hug, squeezing with all his might, trying to impress his emotions, his love and his acceptance as much as he could in that embrace, as he held on to the woman who was his mother._

"Henry," Emma broke his reverie, opening the gate on the Mifflin Street. "We're here." He looked up and nodded as he noticed that she remained by the hedge, still holding the gate open, not daring to lay one foot on Regina's property. "Good night, Henry," she spoke as he stepped on the path toward the house.

"Mom?" he spoke, turning back. Whenever they were alone, she was Mom again, Emma noticed. But, whenever others were around, especially Regina, she was Emma, like before the first curse breaking. The blonde knew it had nothing to do with Emma, but with Henry's need for town to accept Regina as his mother, as well. And, it was a statement to Regina that he would always need her as a parent, even though his birth mother was around. So, she didn't mind the separation, but she did cherish moments like these. "I'll stay here for a few days," he said, seeing Emma swallow in defeat but nod in acceptance nonetheless. He reached for her hand, still in her pocket and intertwined their fingers, something he had done in New York with her. "It's just… I am worried."

"No, no, I… I understand." She squeezed gently at his fingers before removing his palm away from hers, turning to go. "Call me, whenever… Whenever."

"Mom, what about our place in New York?" he asked suddenly, grabbing her elbow, an idea springing into his mind. "What are you going to do with it?"

Emma looked at him strangely before she huffed in consideration. It had been their home for a year, and she had bought it with the money she suddenly had had on her accounts, so she did not have a lease to renew or break. They could keep it, for a while at least, but she would have to travel back, one of these days, to set a forwarding address for her mail and to get everything prepared for long term absence. "I need to think about it, but what do you want to do with it?"

"Can we keep it? It will be like a vacation house for us…" He then leaned into his mother, knowing well what needed to be done very soon. "Can you… Can you take me with you when you go there?" At her surprised look he hurriedly explained. "I need to pack my things, and I want to say goodbye to my friends."

"Sure. But, we'll need to ask Regina about it."

"Can she come with us? I want to show her the city. Our favorite places…" The apple tree he had loved for some reason.

"Kid, I don't know… " Emma started, uncomfortable with the idea, but she knew that he only needed to look at her with his sad eyes and add an imploring edge to them she would cave to his whim. "You can ask her, but don't be surprised if she declines just because I will be with you as well." She felt, though, like her warning had been for naught, as the boy smiled at her, the satisfied glint in his eyes.

"Sure thing!" he murmured happily, before turning to the house. "I love you, good night," he said rushing toward his home. As he stood beneath the porch light, he knocked on the door, glancing back at his blonde mother that waited for him to get inside. He waved at her, having heard the telltale clack of his mother's shoes and the click of the lock. Greeting his other mother happily, he noticed Emma closing the gate and walking away. "Hey, Mom!"

Hearing her son greet the brunette rather cheerfully brought a tight bittersweet smile to Emma's lips as she walked away from the Mayor's house. She directed herself toward the shore, where Henry's castle once had used to stand. In her days in Storybrooke, that place had grown onto her, becoming one of her favorite thinking spots. So, with her hands in the pockets, the leather jacket zipped up, she walked, letting the muscle memory guide her to the place, as she surrendered to her thoughts swirling in her head. Henry wanted her to keep the place in New York, as a sanctuary of sorts for them. She could not but agree with him. She was the Savior and as such she would always be in the thick of events, and she needed some alternative for the boy, a place away from all the madness. Now that the curse was broken, again, they could leave. Well, Henry and Emma could as they had not been part of the curse, but Emma did not think Regina would have a problem making the potion Rumple had used the time he had led them on expedition to find his precious Bae, if the town line was the issue again.

Henry would love to have the brunette there, to show her everything that she had missed in the past year. And, honestly, it might do them good to get her out of Storybrooke at least for a little while, away from all the looks and talks, and away from the newly rejoined couple. And, perhaps, the distance from the fairy tales might give Emma a chance to make up to Regina for costing her so much with her righteousness. But, it all depended on the Mayor's acceptance to leave with them. She had no doubt that Henry would try his hardest to convince her, but Regina's hatred and disappointment toward Emma might be too strong at the moment to willingly subscribe herself to the prolonged presence of her rival and nemesis, even if it was for her son.

However, in the meantime, Emma Swan had a lot of work to do. She needed to find a place for herself, then she needed to inform her family of taking a few days, perhaps weeks off to take care of things in New York, all the while she would continue to search for a way to apologize to the woman she had wronged.


	3. Chapter 3

"Emma, what are you doing here?" a voice pierced the blonde's meditation, startling her from her seat as she jumped and reached for the weapon on her hip, frowning when her hand encountered the empty space. Oh, right, she had left it in her room before going to Mary Margaret's. She looked up toward the intruder and saw her friend watching her worriedly. "Are you OK?" Ruby asked, coming closer, as she pulled out her earphones, a quick move turning off the player. Emma only nodded, wiping her face and tired eyes with her palms, as she returned to her seat, the silent invitation for the brunette obvious.

Ruby watched her friend sit down with a heavy sigh before she joined her. It was really early in the morning, the dawn had not approached yet, but the wolf had felt restless in her room so she had decided to go for a run. She never expected to find her blonde friend sitting by the water, her eyes lost in the distance, the slumped form showing that the Savior had spent most of the night there. If not for the steady sound of Emma's heartbeat, Ruby would've thought that something terrible had happened. And, the tense silence filled with strange form of hopelessness did nothing to ease her worry.

"Is there something that I can do?" the girl asked finally as they watched the first light of dawn crawl over the eastern sky. The wolf eyes were sharp enough to notice the barely there sad and self-deprecating smile on the blonde's face along with the shrug of red leather covered shoulders, telling her what the problem was. There were only three reasons why Emma would be so defeated: fight with Henry, blow out with Snow and losing war with the illustrious Madame Mayor. Since both Henry and Snow were friendly enough toward the former Sheriff, and most of the important figures of Storybrooke were there to witness the fall out of the Mother Duo, Ruby could guess what was bothering Emma so early in the morning. "I can harass her until she agrees to forgive you?"

Emma had to chuckle at the offer, as it was tempting but she shook her head. "No, that would only bring you trouble. And piss her off even further." She leaned against her knees, as her fingers went through her tresses, pulling them back off her face. "I need to do this properly and grovel."

"I must admit, it is strange…" Ruby started after several minutes of silence. "Seeing Regina as one of the Heroes, even though she is the Evil Queen. I mean, who would've thought?"

"Please don't call her that. She is not the Evil Queen. Not anymore." At the intrigued look she got from the werewolf Emma cocked her head at her friend. "She used the light magic, and no evil can do that. And, that is Henry's mother you are talking about." She added rising from her place, her voice tinged not with irritation as Ruby would have expected but with weariness of an old soul. "It hurts him that the others call her that still, even though she saved them, many times over."

"I'm sorry," Ruby replied, chastised, looking up at her friend, before the short shoulder move from the blonde invited her for the walk back, as they were going to the same place. They walked in silence, their footfalls barely noticeable in the stillness of the morning, but the werewolf could hear the bats of Emma's boots on the pavement quite clearly, along with soft sighs that the blonde was exhaling. "Want a cup of coffee?"

"No, I'm gonna crash for a few," Emma replied with a mumble as she climbed the stairs to her room, the tiredness weighing down her limbs. Quickly dealing with her clothes, she sank into her bed, the sleep coming immediately, claiming her consciousness instantly.

In what seemed to be only several seconds later, Emma heard her phone ringing and vibrating the obnoxious ring she had set up for her son, the specific song so ingrained in her memory that the opening bars of it were able to pull her out of the deep sleep. Hunting it down with her hand as she refused to open her eyes, she brought it to her ear, her fingers swiping along the screen. "Hello?" she murmured after she answered it, her eyes still closed.

"Mom?" Henry's voice flooded her ear, the concern at her sleep roughened mumble evident in the short word. "You still asleep?"

"Not anymore." Emma replied, finally letting her eyes open as she looked at her night table, the electric clock showing it was only eight in the morning. "What's up, kid?" she asked, sounding more awake, as she sat up, paying attention to the sounds coming from the phone. "Going to school?"

"Yep. An early start, I need to catch up with all the stuff." Emma heard him speak as he was on the streets of Storybrooke, going to the school bus stop all by himself. "I told Mom about New York." The silence that followed his rushed statement was telling in itself. He was either afraid of her reaction, or Regina had reacted badly to his news. But, in all likelihood it was both.

"How was she with it?" Emma asked, her tone letting him of the hook, as she knew that the boy missed some aspects of his life there, and after the permission she had given him the day before, she had been absolutely sure that he would have brought that up to Regina.

"Angry." Emma heard him sigh heavily, and the unmistakable shuffle of his feet gave the blonde the perfect idea how her son was looking at the moment, his pack carelessly thrown over his shoulder, his head bowed and elbows tucked in even though he was holding the phone in one of his hands. "Really angry." There was sadness in his tone and contrite edge in it told her that he was filling guilty for making things worse for his blonde mother. And guilty for causing his Mom pain by making her believe he was leaving her again, even if it was only for a second – before he managed to finish his sentence.

"Kid, let me deal with it. It's not your fault."

"But, Emma…"

"Henry, I will deal with this. You go to school and have fun."

After making her laugh with the comment about resident teachers not being his family, he hung up. She pulled the quilt of herself, deciding to go to the Mayor's office immediately, as she had a hunch that the brunette would be there already, not wasting time on driving to work but poofing herself there. After a quick shower, she dressed, took her gun just because she had gotten used to its weight on her hip, and directed herself to the diner, her mind guiding her to the quick detour to get coffee for her and the Mayor.

She knocked on the glass door, getting a muffled permission to enter. Careful not to speak until she was completely inside, Emma carried the coffee in one hand as she manipulated the door with the other, watching the brunette work over some papers at her desk, her head bowed. "How may I help you?" the distant but cordial tones of Mayor greeted her as she walked toward the desk.

"I just need five minutes," Emma spoke, seeing the exact moment when Regina realized exactly who was in her office by the sudden snap of her head and the tension gathering in the shoulders of the seated woman. "I brought coffee?" the blonde offered softly, placing the cups on the desk, mindful of the documents strewn across of it.

"Miss Swan," Regina spit with disgust as she remained seated, throwing her pen down, having placed the cap on it previously. "What you did wasn't enough?" The hateful glare pinned the Savior into the chair, making her seem smaller than the grain of sand. "Now you are taking my son away from me?" The fear and fury fought for supremacy in her expression, the soft brown of her eyes giving way to the cold blackness, forcing the shiver down Emma's spine. "And, you dare to show your face before me!" The dangerously cold and menacing tone followed Regina's rise from her seat and haughtily stalking steps around the elegant desk, the click of the stiletto heels emphasizing the threat the woman presented, and Emma could just imagine the Evil Queen in the height of her power, despite Regina's pinstriped gray power suit, the furious glare directed in the Savior's way, its piercing power strong enough to bring lesser people, or in this case, less insolent and obstinate people, to their knees, begging for their life.

Damn it, sometime her recklessness and penchant for walking into dangerous situations was going to kill her, and that might even happen that day by the hands of the extremely livid woman, Emma thought as she forced her breath to stay even, her hands clutching the handholds to prevent her from bolting, knowing quite well that she was not to show any weakness before the woman, unless she wanted Regina to pounce on it and eviscerate her on the spot. But, even though she did nothing to provoke the Mayor, at least nothing since she had entered the office, Emma knew that the brunette had been seething for weeks, in her anger, bitterness and anguish, and that had to boil out eventually. So she wasn't surprised at all to find herself magically suppressed in the air while her limbs were akimbo, as she was paralyzed and cold, her airways constricted by an invisible force.

"I am not taking Henry away from you." She squeezed through her jaw in desperate gasps, dark spots appearing in her vision as she could hear the blood whooshing in her ears as she sacrificed the last of her oxygen to convince the woman of the truth. Emma didn't even try to fight the hold, surrendering to it completely, knowing that without her magic, nothing would work anyways, hoping that the Regina she had gotten to know in the past weeks was strong enough not to succumb to vengeance and kill her in retribution. "He…  ** _wants_** … to go… with  ** _you_** …" she managed to push through the throat hold, ignoring the disbelieving scoff from the sorceress, as she felt the last vestiges of the grip on her consciousness disappear.

"What?" Regina asked in surprise and disbelief after she heard the last words from the Savior, her shock making her lose the grip over her magic, and suddenly Emma was able to breathe again, pulling in the deep breaths and gasping, as she tried to calm the furious and panicking beat of her heart. "What did you say?" the brunette spoke demandingly, coming closer to the still immobilized Savior, her every move still portraying danger, even though it had lost some of its edge.

"He wants you to go with him, to visit his favorite spots," the blonde spoke after several moments, her breath still coming out in short bursts. With a wave from Regina's hand, Emma found herself on the floor, the collision with the hard marble taking breath out of her lungs again as well as bruising her whole body. "He didn't tell you that?"

"No, I…" Regina whispered shaking her head, turning away from the sprawled Savior, her arm going round her middle while the other clutched at her neck, the move Emma recognized as her 'I-hate-being-vulnerable-and-need-a-moment-to-regroup' pose. "I didn't give him the chance," she admitted softly, still unsettled by the information, cutting herself off from the magic completely. And, honestly, the rapid change in her mood gave her a whiplash, the absolute rage to disconcerting confusion leaving her a bit unbalanced.

"I told him that I would have to go back and settle my affairs if we were to move here permanently," Emma decided to explain her thinking, as she was willing to give the woman the time to gather her bearings on the situation. "He wanted to come with, to say goodbye to his friends, but I told him that he had to ask you. He then suggested that you come with us, as I would be pretty tied up with legalities during our stay." Not even bothering to pick herself up off the floor and just turning her head to the side, Emma watched the Mayor pace in front of her desk.

"I just thought…" Regina turned toward the Savior and seeing her still on the floor she snapped her fingers, moving the woman onto the couch in the seating position, some of her ire gone. She watched as Emma leaned gratefully into the back of the sofa, sighing with relief.

"I would never take him from you. You are his mother and I know that." The firm conviction in Emma's voice settled the brunette down, just like it had done on the eve of Emma's return to Storybrooke. The Savior grabbed the opportunity to express her regret as she didn't know when the next chance would present itself. "I never wanted to hurt you, least of all betray you the way I did. I don't like seeing you in pain, and definitely I don't like the knowledge that I am the one that caused it. And, oddly enough, it has little to do with Henry. Yes, he is a big part of that, but still, I know you, Regina, the real you and that…" Emma's voice trembled under the strain of emotion in it, but she soldiered on and finished the sentence even though she had a feeling that it would make her feel ridiculous, and look ludicrous in the eyes of the other woman. "That is precious to me," she spoke assuredly, her eyes focused onto the brown ones, showing them beyond any doubt that it was not a lie, hoping that Regina would see that.

Finally composed enough to establish her cold Mayoral persona, Regina scoffed at the blonde, disregarding her apology, taking seat behind her desk once more and glared at the woman from her perch, the iciness of the brown orbs unforgiving. But, what Emma didn't know was that Regina had heard Emma and that particular sentiment of treasuring the knowledge of the woman beyond the masks reached her on some level, easing the sting of the immense betrayal. However, she could not forgive that easily, not such a grievous mistake, not even the woman who had always stood in her corner since the original Curse had been broken. Too many times she had been hurt to just let it go, but she knew that if Emma was persistent enough, and the stubborn child of the two idiots was nothing if not tenacious, the blonde would be eventually forgiven. Of course, Henry's endless smugness over his punishment for his birthmother had nothing to do with it. Nor did his decision to permanently move in the mansion, as he missed being in his room and his home. And, regarding the trip to New York, her choice had been made the moment the Savior had said that Henry wanted her there, in the place where he had been happy for the past year, to share his life with her. She would never deny him such request, and honestly, she did want to see the places that had brought out his radiant smile when he had been telling her about them.

"When do you plan on leaving, Miss Swan?" the Mayor asked, the detached tone of the woman putting Emma on edge. Regina was always passionate, in her fury, her hatred, or her protectiveness, but this cold shoulder and distance was something new in their dynamics and the blonde didn't know how to deal with it.

"In the next several days," Emma spoke from the sofa, flexing her shoulders, easing the pain of the impact with the hard surface.

"And for how long?"

"I thought for a week?" For some strange reason, Emma felt like she was asking for permission, as if she was a grounded child before furious parent, and having very little experience with that particular scenario, she was unsettled by it, especially as she did not want to think of Regina as her parent like figure. "It would give me enough time to deal with the paperwork, and Henry could see his friends more than just once…" Trailing off she stopped talking knowing that anything else said beyond that point would be useless, so she just rose from the sofa, waiting for the verdict.

Regina had returned to signing the documents on her desk before speaking again, and not lifting her head, the dismissal clear in her tone, she uttered sharply. "Friday and we are taking my car." No room for debate or refusal, clear to the point and controlling to a fault – the fierce woman Emma had known the first months of her life in Storybrooke was back.

"Yes, Madam Mayor," the blonde spoke in acceptance of the terms, and walked out of the office, trying to suppress the shaking that threatened to overtake her limbs. Only when she was out of the building, she leaned against the wall and sank down on her butt, a great sigh of relief leaving her lips. She had survived the encounter, and managed to convince the woman to join them on the trip. The only thing remaining was to survive the week in close quarters with Regina, including the eight hour drive there and back. Yep, piece of cake.

After several minutes, Emma gathered herself up, dusting off her clothes, not willing to endure the questioning glances of the passer-by any longer. Thankfully, so far none of them was brave enough to come to her to ask her what was wrong. Stretching her sore body, she started walking, not in any particular direction but using the exercise to loosen the pain, and to think of her next step.


	4. Chapter 4

Not minding where she was going, Emma was surprised to find herself in front of the school right in time of the recess. Only when she heard the joyful screaming of the children she realized where her feet had brought her. Just as well, she thought, as she needed to speak with Henry, not wanting to do it over the phone. And, the moment she thought of him, as if he was brought out by a summoning spell, her son walked out of the building, carrying his lunch box. Quickly, she started walking toward him, following him to one of the outer seats, keeping herself quiet. When she reached him, Emma just dropped beside him on the bench, startling him immensely, the jerky move of his hands dislodging the top of his box.

"Emma!" the reproach in his tone was quite clear, and the glare he directed at her would make his brunette mother proud. "You scared me," he added unnecessarily as he took out a sandwich to eat.

"Sorry," she said, her smirk and gleeful tone telling him that she actually was not sorry, as she stole one of his cut-up carrot sticks. Glancing at the contents of the box Emma had to smile in affection toward his other mother. The perfectly balanced healthy meal that included white meat sandwich and carrots was offset by a chocolate milk package and a bag of gummy bears.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were going to talk to mom?" he spoke after swallowing, the manners that Regina had instilled in him resurfacing easily. He watched her eat the orange vegetable before he took another bite out of his delicious meal, waiting for her response. But, when Emma only winked at him, smiling her winning smile, he chuckled at her, reminded of many times she would come home from her jobs, answering his greeting question of how the things had gone the same way. It meant that Emma had succeeded in her intentions. "You talked to her?" he needed to clarify. "And she agreed?" The disbelief in his tone was warring with the astounding amount of hope that his mother would actually let him go, and join him, well them on their way to New York.

"We are leaving on Friday and we are taking the Benz," Emma replied, that tidbit enough to answer his questions. There was no way his mother would ever allow Emma to take Mercedes without her present, so it would seem that she was coming with them.

"How did you…?"

"Kid, she would do anything for you, you know that, right? I mean, you are her True Love." Emma rushed to answer. "All the rest, even the thing between us two pales at the opportunity to make you happy this way." After a second, she continued, deciding that he had enough time to digest her words. "But, she is still angry with me, and rightfully so, therefore there might be some tension between us on this trip."

"Some?" Henry asked, his eyes rolling at her understatement.

"Eat your lunch," Emma pushed him with a mock glare and rose from her seat. But before she could leave a timid call from her boy stopped her. She turned toward him and instantly crouching down beside him when she noticed his sad expression. "Henry?"

"I miss dad," he spoke quietly, looking down at his hands.

"I know, kid." She sighed heavily, as she hugged her son. "But, know this, Neal loved you very much, and he would be proud of you." Henry only nodded against her shoulder, enjoying the soothing embrace for a moment, before pushing the blonde gently away, a watery smile on his face.

"You're embarrassing me in front of the others, Mom," he said, glancing toward the other children looking with interest at them.

"It is the sacred duty of every mother, kid. To embarrass their child to death, especially in front of their friends." The mock glare he directed at her made her burst into laughter, before she kissed his forehead, despite his complaint and stepped away, remembering something important. "See you later, kid," she waved at him and left the school grounds. But if she were to look back she would've witnessed a highly pleased smirk on her son's face, and the calculating look in his eyes, the very same one he would get whenever they had discussed the Operation Cobra.

With a quick jog, she reached the pawn shop, wanting to speak with Rumplestiltskin. But, as she opened the door, she saw not the Dark One, but his lovely new wife at the counter, deeply immersed in one of the books. The bell of the door drew the gentle blue eyes toward Emma and Belle smiled when she saw who the guest was. Closing the book, the young woman stepped out of the counter and reached for Emma's hands, the offering of friendship and a shoulder evident in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" the slight accented voice pierced the silence as Belle looked into the troubled eyes of the Savior. She and Emma were never close, simply never given the opportunity to be so, but the young librarian considered the blonde a family.

"Is Gold here?" Emma asked, still uncomfortable with open gestures of affection and friendship, used to it from Ruby and Mary Margaret, and sometimes David, but everyone else's kindness still stumped her from time to time, the evidence of her hardships in childhood still present in her everyday interactions.

"No, he's at the cemetery," Belle spoke, the indication clear in her tone. "He might be a while. Any way I can help?"

"It's about Neal," Emma said softly as Belle guided her toward the back room. She sat down at the pallet, leaning onto the wall, as she watched the young woman bustle around, gathering ingredients for tea. "I am going to New York by the end of the week and…" She pulled her hands onto her face, pushing the hair out of it.

"You're leaving?"

"No, just need to take care of some things and bring the rest of our clothes here." Accepting the hot cup from the other woman, the blonde looked over the steam to Belle. The librarian settled herself beside the Savior, offering her companionship and yet not confronting her about anything, her offer to listen implied. "Regina is coming with me and Henry."

Belle, of course, knew the amplitude of such statement, knowing quite well what had happened between the two of them. But, she kept her quiet, letting Emma talk at her own speed.

"She thought I was taking him away the first she heard of it," Emma commented, slightly detached as she sipped her tea, enjoying the taste of mint. "And, when Henry told me that, I went to her office to try to convince her of the opposite." The grim and sarcastic chuckle followed the end of that sentence.

"Are you hurt?" Belle asked, her understanding of the situation perfect.

"No, just a bit sore." Emma said slowly, amazed by the woman's insight and knowledge of their behaviors. "I managed to tell her the truth behind our sudden decision to leave, and somehow she agreed."

The silence fell over them as they sipped their tea. Belle did not mind the company and knew that Emma would wait until Rumplestiltskin came. But before she could ask something, Emma continued talking.

"I just don't understand how did I mess up so badly? I mean, I know Regina likes Robin, but it's not like they have known each other for a long time. How could just a few weeks of, I don't know, romance, be so important?" Emma spoke bewildered at the quite rapid development of the situation.

Belle realized that Emma was missing quite a bit of information. "Did you know that when Regina was just a young Queen, Tink casted a spell to show Regina's True Love?"

"Yeah," Emma replied, confused by the unrelated topic. "Tink told me when we were in Neverland."

"Well, it would seem that it led to a man with a lion tattoo on his forearm. The man you know as Robin."

Emma was startled by the understanding that flooded her at the information. It wasn't just a romance - it was everything that Regina had wanted since the day Daniel had died. Her true love back. And, Emma had taken it from her, just like Snow and Cora had in the past.

"Now, as I understand, Regina was terrified with the possibility of happiness and did not dare to meet the man, telling Tinker Bell that she was wrong, and as Tink had broken many rules to help Regina, she was punished for it. This had been before Robin met Marian." Belle watched the paleness of Emma's face slowly recede as she listened carefully, not wanting to miss any detail the woman was telling her, needing to know the full extent of her crimes against the Queen. The librarian could only commend the Savior for perseverance and desire to listen as it might offer her path to forgiveness by the wounded woman. Belle could recognize the signs of affection and a need to staunchly protect against all enemies, even from herself, for she was the one who fell in love with a Dark One, the ultimate evil of their world, believing in good in him. So why couldn't the Savior fall in love with the Queen, seeing as their life experiences had been somewhat similar? "In the Enchanted Forest, Robin was a thief, known across many kingdoms as a pest. Yes, he was stealing from the rich to aid the poor, as you must know the story, but Regina did not pursue him until he attacked her treasury convoy, believing that the taxes her people had collected were intended to fill already brimming coffers. But, it is a little known fact, that unfortunately only Rumplestiltskin knew at the time, that the particular money was intended for several orphanages across Regina's kingdom."

"That is why she captured Marian, she somehow knew that she would lead her to Robin," Emma said in understanding, having used the same technique many times, albeit without imprisoning the women, but using them in search for the skipping criminals.

"Right, dearie, and it was often proved a successful method," Rumple spoke from the door, surprised to see the blonde in the back room, but having heard enough of their conversation, he understood Emma's need to know. He walked in, and sat on a chair facing the women, having seen the imploring look from his wife. "As a Dark One I can see the shifting realities, especially if something draws my attention to it. In the previous version of events, Maid Marian had died after blood poisoning from somewhat successful attempt to commit suicide, having spent several years imprisoned. She had been set to be executed but Regina, in her rarely shown forward planning, decided to fake her death and keep the woman in hopes that after countless hours in the dungeons, Marian would break and tell her who Robin was."

It was strange to hear something so much resembling the Patriot Act invoked by the Evil Queen, but as she considered the legislature that went against many of people's rights and freedoms, Emma couldn't but think that, no matter how it was disconcerting, Regina as a monarch was well within her rights.

"And, now that Marian was back, regardless of Robin being her True Love, Regina would not stand in her way, especially not with Roland in the picture," Emma added with a sigh. Indeed, Regina would not stand between a mother and a child, especially after all the trouble she had with Emma and Henry.

"Indeed," Rumplestiltskin concluded. "Now, I presume you are here to see me?"

"Yes, in fact I am." Emma straightened up, leaning onto her knees, looking at the man before her. "I am going to New York at Friday and I was wondering if you wanted me to bring something?" Despite her unsure tone, Rumplestiltskin understood what she was asking him. Did he want something of Neal's? No, his memories were quite enough, and the scarf the boy had worn once upon a time was a powerful reminder, the only one he honestly needed. But, as he looked at the woman before him, he considered his son, and knowing that he would want his own son to be settled in the future, he made a snap decision, rising from his chair, gesturing to Emma to follow him, knowing that Belle would join them too.

"I have enough of his things here, there is no need for more," he spoke as he looked for something in the drawers of his display. "But, if I knew Bae at all, he would have wanted Henry to have something to remember him by. And, also, he would want to participate in securing his future." Pulling out a leaf of paper he waved his hand over it, repeating the process on another leaf, and yet another. "So, I suppose he would have wanted you to have his place, and do with it what you wished." He offered the papers to Emma, waiting for her startled gasp and a few seconds later, he was not disappointed.

The blonde looked at the first page in her hands, not believing her eyes. It was Neal's will, notarized and bearing the seal of the Mayor's office, as it replaced the County Court seal. Emma knew that the man hadn't had a will, not expecting to die, especially not so soon after meeting his son, and it was clear that Rumplestiltskin falsified the document to make things easier for Emma in New York. The sole beneficiary of the will was Henry, acknowledged as his son, and because he was a minor, Emma was named as the executor of the will. The next page was Neal's death certificate and the rest of the documents were all created to help Emma, all bearing his name.

"I don't know what to say," she murmured still looking with awe at the papers, before she lifted her eyes to meet the dark ones', so similar to Henry's father's.

"No need to say anything, Miss Swan." Rumple tapped his hand on the glass counter, his eyes betraying the emotions he was feeling, smiling gratefully at his wife when she leaned into him in silent comfort. "He would do everything for Henry. And, what I can do is to honor that."

It was a promise, Emma knew as she looked into the man's dark eyes. A promise that the Dark One made, to stand in for his departed son whenever Henry needed him, for whatever reason, his offer including Emma, as well, with some reservations. Humbled with his generosity and unexpected graciousness, the blonde nodded, her eyes portraying all the gratitude she felt. Placing the documents into the folder Rumplestiltskin provided her, she smiled gently. Turning to leave, she thanked Belle for hospitality and directed herself toward the door, but something stopped her. A thought passed through her mind, freezing her in spot.

"Can Regina leave the town?" she asked, worried about the town line.

"This curse is different than one before," Rumple spoke gently, understanding her fear. "The part about stopping others from leaving the caster, Regina, added in desire to keep them all under her thumb. But, because Zelena did not cast the curse, her management of people more on the physical side with her flying simians. However, as the caster of this curse was actually Snow, and she wanted to find you when she casted it, the line doesn't exist, at least not in the way that existed before. Regina won't be able to use magic on the outside, but no one would lose their memories or anything else."

"So, everyone can leave, if they wish?" Emma asked, intrigued with the consequences of such curse.

"Of course, but they need to learn to adapt to the world without magic. As the curse pulled in many people from the Enchanted Forest, the knowledge about this world it provided is rudimentary and strange for most of the first time cursed citizens." The old man gestured toward the back door of his shop, as it led to the woods surrounding Storybrooke, and Emma understood the implication. The Merry Men all understood the rules of the new world - but it was strange and unsettling for them, and they chose to live in the forest, as it was more familiar to them than the modern town. The modern amenities were puzzling for them and as such, they did not want to venture in the world filled with such wonders.

"Will I ever get my magic back?" Emma asked, changing the subject, her tone betraying her hope that she would never get it back, as it was much trouble than it was worth, and a trademark of the Savior, which she did not want to be.

"You are cursed, dearie. And, you should know by now what breaks the most of the curses…" Rumple added gently, his slight jeering tone mocking the woman that had broken a curse or two in her day. He smiled at her as she shook her head in amusement. "Anything else?"

"Actually, yes. Are you still the owner of most of the properties around here?"

"Yes, dearie. I assume you would like a place to live in?" He said, summoning his ledger and already looking through the list of available properties. "Something big, or just for the two of you?"

"Just two, for now," Emma spoke, looking over the various things in shop, not able to look into his face. This meant that she was there to stay, permanently bonding herself to the little town in Maine. Before, she was living with Mary Margaret, only pitching in with the utilities. This time she would have lease in her own name, with obligations and permanent decisions. The impact of her decision was leaving her a bit breathless, even though before the recall of the first curse she had considered Storybrooke her home. But now she would have her own place, in town, with some distance from her parents and not renting the room in the Bed and Breakfast.

"There is a vacancy on Crescent Street, close to the school. Two bedroom apartment with one en suit bathroom and one regular, living room with kitchen and the roof access." Rumple looked toward the blonde, waiting for her decision. But, as she was thinking about it, he found another one. "Two bedroom duplex with large living room and open kitchen, one bathroom and one toilet. With it goes a garage below with additional storage space. It's on Atlantic Street, close to the piers. Or perhaps, this one – a small two level house, three bedrooms, living room, dining room, kitchen, office space and two bathrooms. Pine Street, right beside the animal shelter."

"Can I see them first, before I decide?" Emma asked, interested to see all of them. Rumplestiltskin agreed, arranging for her to meet him the next day. And, with that deal in place, Emma left the shop, pleased with her achievements.   


	5. Chapter 5

 

The Friday finally came. Early in the morning, Emma showed in front of the Mayor's mansion, with a messenger bag over her shoulders, as she didn't need any of the clothes, the only important thing she needed to bring along were the documents and keys. For sentimental reasons she packed her deputy badge, too, at David's insistence. She had packed some food as well, with compliments from Ruby, not knowing if the Madam Mayor would be amiable enough to pack nourishment for her as well. In her hand was a giant cup of coffee, in her other one a take away tray with a cup of hot chocolate and another coffee, the Mayor's favorite according to Granny. Leaning against the Mercedes while she waited, she thought back to the previous three days she had spent in Storybrooke.

Emma had met with Rumplestiltskin and checked the places he had offered to her, but as she had been going through the rooms, she hadn't felt right, as if something vital had been missing. It had not been something palpable but just a feeling deep in her gut, and Emma had tried to convince herself that it had been her anxiety talking, but she couldn't settle on one of the properties. And, then, with a smirk, Rumplestiltskin took her to a small three story building, just one block away from Granny's Diner, on the opposite end from the Bed & Breakfast, in a barely traversed street. The building itself had an old timer's look, like most of the buildings in Storybrooke, but its industrial forms had been softened with repurposed space around it and in it.

_Emma recognized the building from her many patrols of Storybrooke but she always thought that it was closed for renovations, as it was hazardous to be inside. However, the new curse apparently had added a few twists in the already existing properties of the town, refurbishing the old building in a habitable and hospitable place. Guiding her inside, Rumplestiltskin showed her the open ground floor accessible from the outside by an ordinary side door and a large garage-like door, leading into the space that had been supposed to be used as a storage facility for the nearby Town Offices and Daily Mirror, but it had never happened. Then he brought her to industrial size modern elevator in far corner of the building, summoning the cabin down as he explained that the upper part of the building consisted of one and half floors that could be accessed by the inner stairwell, as well._

_After a very short ride, Emma was presented with a beautiful and welcoming space with floor to ceiling windows on the South and West sides of the building, the south side looking onto the street and with passable glimpse of the Main Street, while the West side was turned toward the forest. The refurbished place was fully equipped, white sheets covering the pieces of furniture, showcasing the open floor plan. Emma wandered amidst the unique groups of stuff, their purpose clear. From the elevator, Emma walked first into a section that clearly was a sitting room, the only wall in it holding the hearth beneath a large flat screen monitor mounted on the exposed bricks, the clash between the rustic and modern turning out to be artistically and visually pleasant. Two large and comfortable sofas, along with one love seat and a chair were positioned around a glass coffee table. On the other side of the wall was a space that Rumplestiltskin called a game room, as it boasted with small bar on one side of the room. From there, Emma saw that the third floor was indeed twice smaller, the edge of it coming right above the invisible border of the living and game rooms. Underneath it was a huge modern kitchen - that was in the dead center of the place, with a rectangular marble covered breakfast bar in the middle. Further beyond kitchen was an office, a guestroom, and a bathroom._

_Before he led her upstairs to the third level, Rumple showed her a small toilet that was close by the entrance door. Notifying her that another stairwell led directly into the kitchen from the upper level, the man showed her the bedrooms, one master and one spare, each boasting with their own en suit bathroom and walk in closet. And there, in one corner was a linen closet. Then they walked onto the inner balcony, created by the shorter floor plan on the upper level, and Emma noticed that the railing on the third floor was looking right on the living room and farther to the windows._

_Falling in love with the place immediately, Emma turned toward Rumplestiltskin, her decision clear in her eyes. And what was there not to love? The modern light fixtures, along with vastness of space that reminded her of her place in Boston, a fire place and the strange feeling of belonging that encompassed all of that were enough for her make her mind about taking the place._

_"This is it, then?" Rumple spoke, his question said more like a statement, as he had seen the exact moment when the Savior was seduced by the space. He pulled out the necessary papers, giving Emma the pen to sign. "Let's finish then with the formalities."_

_"How much is rent going to be?" Emma asked, not bothering to look through the contract she was signing, trusting the old man to be fair with her, as a part of their new familial connection._

_"You misunderstood me, Miss Swan," Gold spoke only after she had signed the paper in triplicate. At the raised eyebrows, he shook his head and smiled, purposefully making his smirk appear sinister and cold. "You should've read the contract carefully before signing it, Savior." Before she could even speak in indignation, he left her with one copy of the paper and disappeared in smoke._

_"Damn it!" Emma shouted before looking down at the document in her hands. But instead of life of servitude or something to that effect, the blonde was surprised to find the deed to the place in her name. The contract she had signed was about accepting the property as a gift. "Damn it," she muttered softly, completely flabbergasted by the gesture of the old man. She was perfectly happy with renting a place, just like most people in Storybrooke did, but he had to go one step, hell several steps, further and give her a whole building, free of charge._

Later that day, Emma had notified her parents about the journey to New York and her new place. After defusing a slight nervous breakdown of her mother's at the mention that she was going with Regina, of all people, outside of Storybrooke, they had sat down and discussed Emma's new apartment, promising to take them to it the next day.

It seemed to Emma that those two days till Friday took forever to come to pass. In that time she had seen Robin and Marian walk around the town, or sit at Granny's, the woodsman showing his wife the town and the inventions of the modern world, the knowledge he had gained from the curse, but she could see that their newest resident was not settling in at all, the new world too much unfamiliar to her. And, the constant bombardment with the strange aspects of their cursed lives was putting a lot of strain on the confused woman, ultimately creating crackling tension between the members of the reunited couple. But, not only Marian's displacement was the cause of the ever growing pressure around them. Robin had mourned for his wife for years, eventually letting her go, prepared to continue with a new life and her sudden return had shifted the ground beneath his feet. The knowledge that Regina had been hurt over this did not help at all, making him feel even worse. The only one who accepted the new reality without any trouble was Roland, in his childish acceptance of all-the-things-magic without reservations.

But, Emma had heard from Ruby that the little one was asking after Regina often, especially when they would get into the diner, causing his mother to grimace in revulsion and jealousy, always masking it with superficial and empty smile, but never quickly enough to escape Ruby's or even Robin's notice. In Tinker Bell's words, as they had talked the evening before the travel plans, the small youngster had been taken with the breathtakingly beautiful Mayor so much that once he had run off, pulling out of his father's hold as the whole family was at the grocers', and rushed into the startled brunette's legs, holding them as only small children can, causing a spectacular shouting match between Robin and Marian, while Regina had kept her silence, disappearing the moment Roland had let go off her.

Emma's heart ached for the brunette, imagining the pain of the situation. Once more she was brutally reminded why one should not mess with the past, and why it was one of the fundamental laws of magic. If she could, she would take it all back. But the cards had already been dealt, and she wasn't in possession of another time changing spell or curse.

"Emma?" Henry's voice brought her out of her musings and she looked up, seeing her son and his other mother staring at her, one with interest and the other with contempt.

"Hey, kid," she grinned, pushing away from the car and moving out of the way, letting the brunette pack up her things into the trunk. "Good morning, Regina," she added when the woman slammed the trunk door down, wincing at the loud sound in the tranquil morning, offering coffee to the woman, expecting a haughty sniff or a scoff at the 'tawdry excuse of a peace offering' but instead Regina took the offered drink with a barely there nod, making Emma blink in surprise. Deciding not to comment on it, she gave the coco to the radiant boy beside her.

"I am driving," Regina said sharply, already situating herself behind the wheel, her brusque manner a warning enough that it was a trying morning for the Mayor. Emma quickly climbed into the passenger seat, winking at Henry who was ecstatic with the impending trip. "Seatbelt, Miss Swan," the woman said next, starting the car and off they were. Using her position, Emma leaned her back into the seat, turning her head just enough so she could see the driver without arising any suspicion, instantly noticing the dark circles beneath Regina's eyes and the stiff posture of the woman, vibrating with tension. But, then Henry asked about the route they were taking, and Emma's opportunity to observe her partner in parental duties was missed.

The first hours of their drive passed in relative silence, Henry quickly bored with the monotonous scenery and having taken his hand held game to amuse himself. The only hitch in the beginnings was the crossing of the town border, the sudden disappearance of magic making Regina gasp, even though she had been preparing herself for the feeling. But after taking a moment to gather her bearings on the shoulder of the road, she was quickly well enough to drive on, not accepting Emma's offer to drive for a bit, until she was more settled. After two hours, Emma was looking outside of her window, the forest passing right before her eyes, but her mind was very far away, lost in the whirlwind of memories.

The last time she had left Storybrooke, she had lost her memories of the town and people in it. And the last minutes she had spent before that fateful day she had driven the bug across the town line had been with the woman sitting right beside her.

_My gift to you is good memories, a good life for you… and Henry. You'll have never given him up. You'll have always been together._

_When I stop Pan's curse, and you cross that town line, you will have the life you always wanted._

Now that she had her memories, all of them, back, she understood the real weight and size of the gift Regina had given her. The amount of trust the woman had placed in her, the memories of Henry being the ones Regina had had, only changed to suit Emma. And, in a way it was a greatest gift anyone could have given her, greater beyond her family or love. The life of her son had been shown to her, making her feel as she had been there every step of the way, present for each milestone and moments in between, finally free from the regrets she had had about not seeing him grow into such wonderful and kind boy she adored. And, the one to give that had not been her family, Snow and David; had not been Neal, even though she had still loved him, albeit in a more of familial way; had not been Hook, even if he had been the one to make her understand the reality of the situation. No, the one who had blessed her in such way had been the woman, with whom she had a rollercoaster relationship with, deadly adversarial one minute, amicable the other, and sarcastically disdainful but obscurely teasing in the moments in between. The woman who had haunted her thoughts in one way or another since the day she met her, when one did not count the year she could not remember anything of her previous life.

The woman, Emma could admit to herself in the silence of her own head, she loved and respected.

Nevertheless, it was also the woman she had hurt beyond imagination.

She still dreamed of the moment when Regina had realized what had happened in the diner, waking up in tears and defeated gasps each and every time at the broken and utterly devastated look covered by raging fury in those dark eyes, that had glinted with happiness and joy and compassion, more open and beautiful then Emma had ever seen them be, until that very moment.  _You did this_. Emma could still hear the broken quiet words reverberating in her mind, and every time she would think about it, which meant almost always, it would bring her such a great guilt and feeling of loss, so sharp that she needed all her experience in hiding her emotions that she had gathered over the years to keep herself from tearing up.

And, now, being in the same car with Regina, traversing the path of Emma and Henry's previous exodus, with pictures of that time running rampant through the blonde's mind, was creating a strange sort of uneasiness, expecting a well-deserved blow out and at the same time hoping for a miracle mending their friendly relationship – but it all was doused in her understanding of her own emotions, her affection, love and fear for the woman beside her, afraid that somehow she would give herself away. And, the resulting scorn and dismissal she would not be able to stand, so she had decided to put the lid on the already damaged heart and bear her cross in silence.

"Hey, Emma, would you like an apple?"

Emma blinked the somewhat unexpected question coming from her son in the back. She turned toward him and saw that he was holding out the honey crisp apple, the Mayor's trademark. Seeing her look at the red fruit as it was going to strike her, Henry chuckled and tossed it to her, outright giggling at her mad dash to catch it. When she held it in her hand, still looking it with a curious expression on her face, Regina scoffed at her, watching their antics with the corner of her eyes, mindful of the road.

"It's not poisoned, dear, if that is the problem," the brunette spoke scathingly, rolling her eyes at the Emma's a bit dazed nod.

"No, I… I know," the Savior managed to speak quietly, still looking at the apple. "It's just that… I never had one of these before…" It was something akin to awe that Regina heard in Emma's voice, making her narrow her eyes in surprise. Surely the blonde had an apple before? She had even given her the entire basket of them when she had first come to her town. Shaking her head at the ridiculous former Sheriff, Regina focused on the road in front of her, stealing a glance or two at the blonde thoroughly enjoying her apple.

Regina glanced toward the review mirror, catching the suspiciously interested look on her son's face, and traces of uncertainty in his eyes, confused by the behavior of his younger mother. But when he noticed her in the mirror he smiled at her winningly, coaxing a smile from her as well. Unseen from Emma's side, he had placed a hand on her left shoulder in thanks and support, knowing that she had stopped herself from adding an insult or two for the Savior. Tilting her head to it, she nuzzled the soft skin of her son's back of the hand with her cheek, thoroughly pleased when two knuckles rose to return the gest. Ever since the Switch, whenever Henry was in her presence, he allowed her to shower him with affection, not complaining even once about it, more often than not returning it. And, she knew it was only for her, as she had observed him push his blonde mother or grandmother away, frowning at them, the picture of teenager's embarrassment.

Once more she glanced toward the blonde, and blinked. She could not be sure, because it was only a reflection in the side window glass, but Regina could have sworn that she had just witnessed a tear glide down the pale cheek, as Emma watched on, her gaze lost in the distance, the green of her eyes hidden from the Mayor. Forcing her eyes back to the front, she considered the woman beside her. Regina had honestly thought that the way to New York would be filled with Emma's incessant chatter, often involving Henry in it, or playing some inane word games. At the very least, she had expected the blonde to play some kind of music, twiddling with the radio every five minutes. But, she had not expected the silence or the lost look on the Savior's face. And, her strange reaction to the apple…

Henry had told her several days before that Emma had grown quieter with each passing day, disappearing for hours without explanation. The times she had seen the blonde, the former sheriff had been picking through her lunch or enduring Miss Lucas' gossiping party with feigned interest. And, now, if she paid any attention, she could see that Emma had not been sleeping well, the drooping lids on her eyes only driving the fact home.

Turning the right turn indicator on, Regina pulled over at a way station, deciding to fill the car up and to use the break to stretch her leg. Opening her door, she looked back to Emma and saw that the blonde was still lost in her little world. When Henry climbed out of his seat, she winked at him and slammed the both doors, the concussive force and the loud noise making Emma yelp in surprise, almost falling out of the car on the other side.

Emma straightened up and turned to face Regina, angry words on her lips, but the moment she saw the victorious smirk pulling at the older woman's mouth and mischievous glint in the dark eyes, accompanied by a barely stifled giggle of her son hiding behind the car, the blonde swallowed her indignation and nodded, before she walked off into the shop accompanying the gas station.

"Henry?" Regina spoke, looking after the blonde that had disappeared through the glass door. "Is everything all right with Emma?" She turned to him, waiting for his answer.

"I don't know," he answered honestly, his worry for his other mother obvious in his eyes and the frown his face held. "She says she is fine, but…" He glanced toward the shop, before settling his eyes onto his mother's face. "Snow is worried about her too…"

"Is that so?" the woman whispered, leading the boy into the shop, changing the subject to other things, making the most of their break, and soon after they all went to car and drove off.

Right after Providence, they made another stop and switched places, Regina acquiescing to Emma's reason that the woman was more used to the congested roads and dangerous New Yorkers. So in the late afternoon, they rolled into the city, the blonde expertly weaving through the traffic, bringing them to a place she and Henry once called home rather quickly.

After they parked in the arranged space in the apartment complex, Emma took out Henry's set of keys and entry card and gave him, along with some cash, directing him to take Regina with him and buy something for dinner, while she opened the place and talked to the building manager. Not able to resist the boy's gleeful outlook and demanding pull on her arm, Regina followed him without a word, her narrowed eyes telling Emma that she was highly suspicious of such move.

Shaking her head, the blonde emptied the trunk and quickly walked toward the entrance, taking mail from her box, and finding the manager in the hallway. In short terms she explained to him that she was there with her son and a friend and that she would need another set of the entry card and keys, on temporary basis. With that particular bit done, she went to the elevator and pressed her floor, her actions automatic. When she unlocked the door, she went to the windows, venting the place, then to bedrooms, taking off the sheets to put them into laundry. Luckily she had dealt with Henry's breakfast before they had gone from the place. All in all, she prepared the place for her guest, placing new linen on the beds, taking another set for herself, having decided that she would sleep on the couch, as it was quite comfortable. All that was left was to wait for the others.


	6. Chapter 6

It was a rather cold night for New York in the late spring, but Emma did not mind as she wrapped her blanket tighter around her pajama covered body. It had become something of a ritual for her in these few days she had been back – coming to roof after several short hours of sleep, enjoying the stars and the lights of the sleepless city. For moments she could pretend that none of the Savior business was real, and there were only Henry and her, going on with their lives. But, too soon her escape would be interrupted with a thought about her family, her little brother, her parents… and, all other people in Storybrooke that had wormed their way into her heart. Especially, the brunette that was currently sleeping in the master bedroom, not twenty feet away from her.

With her elbows on the sill, she looked up into the starry skies, the pollution from the city making them blurry and very far away, nothing like the view in Storybrooke, in the middle of nowhere. Thinking back to the evening of their arrival, Emma sighed.

Regina had made a comment about inferiority and drifters when she saw that there was no guest bedroom in the apartment. But when Emma had spoken through her clenched teeth, her tone unusually sharp and snippy, as she had hit the counter with her fist, that there was no need for an extra room for they had not had anyone to put into it, the brunette's tone changed, the ice melting somewhat. Without further fuss, the former Queen accepted the bedroom, deeming it satisfactory for a short stay.

They had ordered in, neither woman willing to cook, but Henry and Regina had bought some groceries for the next days. Eating in tense silence, only interrupted by Henry sprouting plans for them two while Emma was dealing with her things, they quickly had finished with the meal, retiring early, Regina excusing herself with a long drive and an early morning, while Emma used headache as a reason for sending Henry to his room, telling him that he could read for a while.

And on that first night, she had woken around three in the morning, the remnants of her dream still present, making her too uneasy to continue sleeping. So, she had gone out, the slight breeze over the rooftops clearing her head, allowing her to push down her teeming emotions. After two hours spent outside in the early morning, watching the changing colors on the Eastern sky, Emma had taken a quick shower, had dressed and silently slipped out, deciding to get an early start of the day, leaving the prepared coffee pot in the kitchen and a short message on the fridge, explaining her absence. Not really explaining, but noting down that she had gone to check something out and suggesting Henry to get in touch with his friends and show his mother around. But, the truth had been that she'd been avoiding the brunette, afraid of another burst of anger, like the one night before, brought on by her frustration with the woman, using every available excuse to prolong her absence.

So when she had returned to the apartment that evening, she had found Regina reading a book on the couch, while Henry had been trying to finish the level 29 in his game. Taking off her jacket, she had dropped her keys into it, before sinking right beside the boy, bumping him playfully with her shoulder. The woman on the other side had completely ignored her, turning a page. But when Henry had told her that they ate in the Little Italy, not so subtly inquiring if she had eaten herself, she had lied mentioning that she had grabbed a slice of Lombardi's pie, feeling the piercing eyes of the other on her face. She had known instantly that Regina had caught the lie, the only comment for it a raised eyebrow, before going back to her book.

Till Henry's bedtime, Emma had listened to him talk about his day with Regina, the brunette's contribution only a correction from time to time and a light chuckle when the boy had been talking about their adventure through the interesting corners of the Little Italy. But, as soon Henry had left them alone, the brunette had pounced.

_"Where were you?" Regina whispered harshly when she returned from tucking Henry in. "He kept asking me if something had happened."_

_"I just had a lot of work to do," Emma mumbled, bringing out the sheets and blankets to make her bed, and that was the actual truth. "I needed to find my former employer and arrange for him to pay up my remaining fees and deal with the contract of employment. There were some other things I needed to take care of." Emma did not even bother feeling angry at Regina's presumptuous intrusion in her privacy, as she was more than used to it._

Not getting anything more out of the blonde, Regina had gone to her room, the resounding click of the lock more than telling in the silence of the late evening. And, that night Emma had woken by a nightmare again, and sneaking off to the roof, she breathed in measured breaths, trying to steady her heart.

The Sunday had been filled with a lot of walking, Henry using the opportunity of his both mothers present to enjoy the real family excursion, making them laugh at his antics. But, Emma had noticed his worried glances as she had declined most of the sweets he had offered, accepting only the gelato, as it had been their tradition. She had also felt the scrutinizing gaze on her back from time to time. However, the two women had rarely communicated directly, except with their eyes, the sharp and demanding brown ones and avoidant green.

In the afternoon they all had participated in organization of a party that would happen on Saturday Henry had announced to his friends, his way of saying goodbye to most of his buddies. Only selected few of his click had been asked to hang out during the week, as an effort to give Regina some free time on Henry's part. So, as the master planner had decreed, they had split the shopping list, Regina sticking to more regular things, while Emma had had to find the more party flavor things such as streamers and 'the cool stuff'.

And just like in the previous days, that Monday had started too early in the day by Emma waking up in tears, and spending her morning on the roof. Again Regina had been mildly surprised to find her up and about, having risen earlier than the day before, but gratefully accepting the cup of coffee that the blonde had doctored the way she had seen Ruby do for her at the diner. Emma had waited for Henry to rise before she left, explaining to him that she had a full day ahead and that she would most likely be late for dinner that evening, catching the suspicious but concerned look in his eyes before it was schooled into neutral morning sleepiness. Kissing his forehead and throwing a look toward Regina, she had walked out of the apartment, sighing at the hard feats before her. She had arranged for Neal's building manager to meet her to discuss his place, expecting that her day would be spent mostly on the cogs of administration. But, just in case, she had found one of her acquaintances who had been a family law expert to stand by if there were any problems with the ownership transition.

After all the documents had been approved in the early afternoon by her former boss pulling some strings, Emma and the manager, Mister Roberts, entered the place, the blonde getting the keys. She had been upfront with him, telling him that she would most likely sell the place, receiving a disinterested shrug in return as the man left her in the dust filled apartment.

Having dealt with Neal's bank accounts and safe deposit box previously, while she had waited for the papers, transferring all the money to her own accounts and opening a trust fund in Henry's name. It had been an impulsive decision but she hadn't regretted it. There had been some details left to deal with at the later date, when the accounts were settled and properly functioning, such as executors of the fund and all the 'in case of' particulars. She had been astounded by the numbers on Neal's, but what had moved her beyond her ability to control tears had been the box she had been presented with at the vault. In there had been pictures of them together, along with some other trinkets she and he had collected on the way. On top of all those had been a single postcard with one simple word on it – Broken. Turning it around, Emma had seen that it had been from Storybrooke, instantly the picture forming in her mind as she realized what had happened. August had sent it somehow. Her rumination of the memories she had had of the man she had loved a long time before had been interrupted by a chime of her phone, telling her that the papers were through. Taking the contents of the box with her, Emma had stuffed them into her bag.

Later, she had been in the small apartment, wasting no time and starting to pack up the things already, making decision that before she sold it, she would bring henry there one more time. For probably the same reason as her, Neal had not had many things, making it relatively easy for her to organize the three piles – to take, to throw away and to give to Salvation Army.

She had come back at her place just in time to see Henry off to bed. Bypassing the plate of cold pasta, covered with cellophane, she had gone straight to his room, kissing his forehead, while she had touched Regina's shoulder in greeting, getting a startled look from the brunette situated on Henry's bed. With a quietly murmured good night, the Savior had left them to finish their own ritual, eating the dinner that Regina had prepared, disposing of the dishes the minute she had been finished.

Regina had come to ask about the blonde's plans for the next day, arranging for them to go shopping together, as Henry had had a play date in the afternoon, expertly coaxing a promise out of Emma to meet them for lunch at home. Then, with a surprisingly gentle smile the brunette had wished her a good night and had retired herself.

Too lost in her thoughts, Emma did not hear the tin door open, or the soft footsteps coming closer to her. Only when the scrape of the chair behind her pierced the relative silence of the small isolated area, Emma jumped, turning around, her hands already affixed in a defensive position, blanket falling of her in the suddenness of her move. But when she saw who the intruder on her solitude was, Emma sighed and reached for the comforting warmth of the fallen cover, stepping toward the other chair and dropping herself on it, waiting for the Mayor to speak.

The silence went uninterrupted for a while as the women watched each other, their eyes cataloguing everything under the weak light of city windows and stars. The brunette had donned Emma's thick bathroom robe over the silk pajamas, their color indescribable under the almost nonexistent light, but what drew Emma's attention was the face, clear of make-up, the traces of sleep still evident on it. It was a face of angel for her, well aware of her bias, but such beauty was surely heavenly. However, the most poignant details were the eyes, seemingly black as coals in the darkness, but gorgeous nonetheless. And, she could feel the concern in them, as they traced her face, taking in the steadily darkening bruises under her eyes and gauntness of her cheeks.

"I assume this has been going for a while?" Regina asked softly, her voice still husky from sleep, breaking the silence and their stalemate. And, if it had been haughty demand or a snippy comment, Emma would've just ignored her, but the soft concerned tone changed her mind, not to mention what the huskiness did to her blood.

"Every night," Emma answered, keeping her voice down as well, the short answer bringing out a sigh of the older woman.

"Why can't you sleep?" Still the worried and gentle tone… Regina leaned onto the table between them, placing her palms onto the wooden surface of it, projecting calm and caring demeanor, making the blonde's heart clench for too many reasons.

Emma swallowed against the tightness in her throat and looked away, not daring to close her eyes lest the tears escaped. "Because of the dreams that keep me awake," she murmured after several seconds, looking down at her clenched hands, not able to even glance at the woman that was so prominently in her dreams, always with heartbreak and fury, coupled with disgust and contempt evident on her face, in her words.

Regina did not demand nor need explanation, having suffered from nightmares herself. Even though she was still angry and disappointed with the blonde's actions, she couldn't deny that she had been increasingly worried about the Savior, having had many talks with Henry on the subject. Her son had told her, even while they had been in Storybrooke, during their time together in the mansion, that Emma had suffered nightmares for as long as he had been with her, but that they had occurred once a week or less. But, since the journey in the past, Emma had been waking up in gut wrenching sobs almost every night, and that had been one of the reasons he had asked to stay over Regina's. But, apart from the chronic sleeplessness, the blonde seemed to suffer from a loss of appetite and strange moodiness, constantly withdrawing herself whenever Henry or her focused too much of their attention to her.

And, if she were to be honest with herself, Regina missed the blonde as her partner in crime. The bantering rapport they had and the challenging they had done to each other had been the focal point of her day, after Henry. And, Robin… However, the camaraderie with the blonde had been there long before she had met the thief, and the rivalry even longer. No matter how she looked at it, Emma was the one of the few who managed to move her, whether by driving her completely insane and blind with rage or saving her life in an incredibly selfless act, or giving her something that no one had given her since Daniel's death. Hope and trust, tied in the blonde's offer to meet Henry, followed by the gentle smile of acceptance. Hope that even though she was once a villain she would have her happy ending, and trust to be part of something bigger, not singled out for her previous affiliation and her sins. And even if the blonde had messed up terribly, it still did nothing to damage her memory of their alliance and acceptance, and the affection she held for her Savior, or to the significance of Emma's trust that first day the former Sheriff had shown herself in the newly restored town.

Sitting there, the silent company to the blonde, Regina watched as Emma was fighting with herself about something, letting her come to resolution alone, knowing that the blonde did not like being rushed or pressed.

"Regina?" Emma's voice broke the tranquility of the early morning. The brunette only looked up, the gesture itself indication that she was listening. The green eyes glinting in the night darkness focused onto the brown ones, their vividness making Regina's heart skip a beat, the apparent sorrow, guilt and remorse fully visible in the ordinarily guarded eyes. The force of the sentiments playing out in the familiar eyes before her kept Regina silent and frozen in her position. "What I took from you with my thoughtlessness I can never give back, and even though I regret that day there is nothing I can offer you to make up for what you have already lost, but what I can sincerely say is, I am sorry, Regina. I truly am."

Not able to focus on the emotions the passionate speech had invoked in her, Regina did the next best thing. "You already said that."

"I didn't know you were listening," Emma said, her voice breaking as she swallowed against the tears, letting them fall freely, the hot liquid scorching on her skin in the chill of the morning. That Regina did not scoff or dismiss it out right was a very big deal, and the blonde accepted it as a sign that they were moving forward to mending their previous relationship, never hoping for more than that.

"I was." Regina then smiled mirthlessly. "I always listen to my potential enemies."

"Am I?"

Regina saw Emma close her eyes in expectance of a scathing or at least sarcastic remark. And curbing the desire to do just so, the years of conditioning hard to fight against, she tapped her finger on the wood of the table between them. "I don't know. Are you?" The earnestness of the question brought Emma's eyes right back on hers, the surprise in them obvious.

"No!" she almost shouted, letting her conviction and loyalty show in that two lettered word. "Never, as I live and breathe," she added, thinking it was too quiet for the brunette to hear anything but a soft murmur, not knowing that the breeze brought the words to Regina making her close her eyes.

"Where were you today?" Regina asked changing the subject, unable to endure not one more attack on her composure. She might have given Emma a taciturn 'not-quite-there' pardon, but being vulnerable in front of the blonde who was more than capable of hurting her was out of question.

"Neal's place," Emma blurted grateful by the reprieve from the topic, the issue of Henry's father easier on her than relationship between Regina and her, and nodded at the surprised sigh coming from the other side of the table. "Gold gave me his documents and told me to put it to good use, insuring Henry's future."

"The trust fund?" The short question brought out a nod out of the blonde as she looked away toward the lightening sky of the morning. "Do you need help with sorting?"

"I am already done. It is waiting for Henry to see it one more time before I sell it…"

It did explain the worn look in Emma's eyes when she had showed up the evening before, Regina thought as she rose from her seat, reaching for blonde's shoulder in rare show of comfort. But, before she left the roof for another hour or two of sleep, she glanced back at the Savior who was watching the rapidly changing colors on the skies. "Your speech from earlier?" she mentioned softly, as she held the door open, looking over her shoulder at the woman that turned her head toward her. "I could have said the same words to you once." The words itself didn't mean much, but the underlying message was everything Emma wanted. The hidden offer of truce, the knowledge that Emma had forgiven her for the curse, the acknowledgement of Emma's efforts – it was the closest that Emma had come to getting the fully announced absolution.

"I know," Emma smiled gently.  _I have forgiven you even though you haven't asked for it_  – was clear in her answer.

Regina nodded and left inside, as the blonde remained outside waiting for the new day, as she knew that sleep would not be coming that morning.


	7. Chapter 7

When Regina woke for the second time that morning, she knew that the blonde had already left the apartment. It wasn't the silence that clued her in but the barely there feeling of something missing, the feeling that the brunette did her best to ignore, as it led down a dangerous path.

Having woken up the first time that night, Regina had wanted to take a glass of water. But, on her way to the kitchen she saw the empty couch, the sheets still strewn over it in haphazard fashion, telling a story of a restless sleeper, and she had frowned for in order to reach the kitchen from the master bedroom Regina had passed by the majority of apartment and having not seen the blonde there, it had presented a mystery to her. However, her bafflement had ended quickly when she had remembered another place that the owners of the apartment had had access to, Henry having it shown to her just days before. So, after taking Emma's bathrobe from the bedroom, with tentative steps, keeping quiet, she had climbed onto the roof, finding the blonde there, lost in stargazing, the weary and defeated set to the Savior's shoulders unnerving her greatly, for the insufferable woman had always been strong and enduring in her presence, the punches more often than not rolling off her, as she had forced and pushed on, taking no quarter.

After their little chat, Regina had decided to tone down her cold shoulder and to respect the faltering truce between them, the brewing of something deeper underneath it all ignored and denied.

Walking into the kitchen this time, Regina saw that the couch had been made, and there on the breakfast nook was a black coffee thermos, its green logo obnoxiously visible against the matted surface of the cup. Beside it was a bag with a familiar bakery's name on it, the mouthwatering scents still coming from it, as well as the warmth of the pastries, the signs that Emma had not been gone for long. When Regina reached for the bag, her fingers felt a different kind of paper on the other side of it, and with smirk she read the note clipped to their breakfast.

Enjoy! See you for lunch.

Regina chuckled at the note, the handwriting so obviously Emma's even though the woman had tried to make it more legible and fancier.

"Cool, bagels," Henry spoke from behind her, having stumbled out of his room. But, when he glanced around, his face fell slightly as he shuffled toward his chair at the counter. "She's gone already?" he asked his mother, the question more perfunctory than with the real need of knowing the answer. "But, I thought…" he stopped himself with a shrug, taking one of the bagels out of the bag and biting into it, trying not to show how Emma's absence bothered him, as she had warned him that she would be away a lot. However, he had hoped to at least share some part of a day with his blonde mother, and he had thought that they would be all together for breakfast, if nothing else.

"She will be back by lunch, honey," Regina answered, opening the thermos and thoroughly enjoying the smell of a strong coffee that filled the air, having read her son's consternation perfectly, knowing him well to ease some of his dismay at his mother's behavior.

But before she could add anything else, the Mayor's phone rang in a rather obnoxious ring that she had set for the Charmings. When she had been in Storybrooke, the phone only had rung with that particular melody only when Snow had needed an advice on Neal, but she had been sure that the young mother had come to grips with the motherhood enough to stop relying on her former stepmother. Frowning, she picked it up, looking at Henry who was familiar with his mother's ringtones, and she saw that he had similar expression on his face, intrigue above all else portrayed in the sharp green eyes, but there was worry too.

"Good morning, Snow. What can I do for you on this lovely morning?" Even though she had come to peace with the pixie haired woman, the sarcastic and antagonistic nature of their relationship couldn't be undone with several 'kumbaya' sessions, despite their cooperation, with Neal, Henry, and everything else, including the previous year in the Enchanted Forest.

"Regina," came the slightly miffed voice of Mary Margaret, the name also serving as a greeting. "Is Emma with you?" the woman went straight to the point, knowing that the Mayor did not appreciate small talk and waste of time.

"No, she left a while ago," Regina replied, the urgency in her former enemy's tone doing nothing to settle her nerves. "Is something wrong?"

"She said she would call but she hadn't since the day you left, and then it was only a short conversation to just tell us that you are at the place, all in one piece. Yesterday, she declined my calls and did not answer any of the messages I sent. And when I tried to reach her just a minute ago, I get directed to her voicemail." The quick utterance made Regina force down her scorn, knowing that if she interrupted Snow, asking her to speak with more sense, the woman would grow only more frantic. "What's happening, Regina?" And, there it was. The mistrust from the royal couple she had known would resurface sooner or later, regardless of all the speeches of letting go of the past and so on…

"If she is still in the subway, that is normal for New York," Regina answered calmly, not allowing her voice to show her irritation at the woman on the other side of the conversation, even though she had gripped the counter hard to keep herself centered and focused, suffused with warmth when her son took the palm between his own two and squeezed gently. "And, she will come back for lunch with us, and I will tell her you called." She did not say that she knew why Emma hadn't called back, everything with Neal must have been really hard on her, and to talk to the woman who had named her second born with the same name, the woman who had confessed to wanting to start over with another child… Yes, Regina knew why Emma hadn't replied, but she wasn't going to speak of it, not until Emma gave her permission to do so.

And, that thought, that respect for Emma's boundaries and privacy was the most telling sign of her emotional state, again the sign she decided to avoid, or at least postpone dealing with it till the later date.

She had missed some of Snow's complaining words, but suddenly having lost all patience to deal with the woman, Regina interrupted. "Mary Margaret, Emma is a grown woman, capable of taking care of herself, not needing hovering parents to do it for her, all the while pestering her. She came here to finish some rather important business, having warned all of us previously that it would take most, if not all of her time. So, Snow, when she has time to talk to you, and wants to call, I am sure that she will do so. I will, however, inform her that you have been looking for her. Now, good day, Snow!" Regina gave the phone to Henry, taking her coffee thermos and going out on the roof, needing a moment to dispel the irritation.

Minutes later Henry passed through the door and sat beside his mother offering her phone back. It didn't escape her that they were both still in their pajamas sitting in the open, under the morning Sun.

"You know something," Henry spoke softly, his voice not having a trace of accusation, just a simple statement showing that he was aware that something was happening with Emma and that he knew the brunette had at least some knowledge of it.

"Yes. A little."

She wasn't going to lie to him, but she was aware that Henry wasn't going to push her on it, knowing that there was time for everything and that Emma would share with him when she was ready. Nodding at her answer he smiled at her and leaned his head against her shoulder, while she sipped her coffee.

"Have you talked?" he asked after several minutes of quiet. Regina nodded. "And?" He moved his head away to see her better, the excitement in his face shining in the morning light. At Regina's raised eyebrow, he pouted, well aware that she was stalling. "Are you two okay now?"

"Henry, it is a long process and it takes a lot of work on both sides. It takes time." She tipped his nose when he frowned. "Just think of how long it took you to forgive me," Regina added softly, her brown eyes looking into his, while her finger caressed his cheek. But, when his eyes turned sad at the remainder, looking so similar to the other pair of green eyes she was seeing regularly, Regina drew a settling breath before she smiled at him encouragingly, willing to dispel the sadness that shaded the jade of the look focused on her face. "But, we are moving toward being okay."

The morning passed quickly as the two of them looked through the photos Henry had made in the year he had spent there, commenting each with a humorous remark or an anecdote about the scenes in them. It was how Emma found them, laughing over Henry's Halloween costume and the teenagers' party, where one of the girls had showed as Snow White. After joining them on the couch, she added her own stories to the pictures, her sarcasm and dryness often causing Henry to burst into a laugh often, once even bringing him to tears as they remembered the particular winter day that everything that could have gone wrong for Emma had gone, the day getting rapidly worse, his glee in turn making Regina chuckle softly. But the moment Henry mentioned Walsh, Emma clammed up, laughter leaving her eyes immediately. Quickly she asked about lunch, rising from her seat and going into the kitchen.

Regina had heard the comments about the boyfriend-turn-flying monkey but there was apparently more to the story than even Henry knew. Deciding to let it go for the moment, their ceasefire still fragile and she did not want to do or say, or even provoke Emma in doing or saying, anything to damage it. So, following the blonde to the kitchen, she started on salad, as the others joined her, making lunch becoming a family endeavor, enriched with light teasing and impish food fight in the middle of it, the culprits of course being Emma and Henry.

When they dropped off Henry to Avery's place, Emma drove them to one of party stores in the Village, the one she had been using before for Henry's birthday and Halloween. Showing her around the shop, Emma gathered the party flavors, laughing at the scowl on the other woman's face when she placed several cans of silly string in the shopping cart, or when Regina accidentally opened a can with inflatable snakes. But the brunette did not lag behind with her own revenge, several of her own jokes almost downright cruel. However, they enjoyed the return of barbed repartee, settling into a pleasant rhythm. Immediately after finishing up with the party supplies, Emma drove them to a Chinatown supermarket, telling Regina that it held most of the known foods and drinks, and cheaply, at that.

"You're not going to ask me?" Emma spoke after a long a bit of silence, walking beside Regina who was pushing the shopping cart, examining the shelves. The break in their conversation had happened right after Henry had called, begging them to let him stay over at Avery's for sleepover, as apparently there had been some other boys Henry was friends with. Granting him permission the women realized that they would not have a buffer in his form for the rest of the day and night, slightly unnerved by the prospect. Staying civil and controlled in public and under Henry's supervision at the apartment was easy, but without the protective net as such…

"What?" Regina said absently as she regarded the bottles of apple juice, trying to decide which one was better. When she placed the most satisfying choice into the cart she turned toward the blonde and noticed the frown on her face as well the unsecure posture and hands in the back pockets of her jeans.

"About Walsh?"

"You want to talk about that?" Regina raised her eyebrow in surprise before she glanced around. "Here?"

"No, I mean, I thought you would've cornered me by now." Mumbling into her chin, the blonde went straight ahead, before she twisted around suddenly and looked at Regina. "I mean, you never let me get away with things…" Then it seemed as Emma realized where she was and the walls came up incredibly fast as she turned away one more time, leaving Regina flabbergasted beside the juices. "Never mind," Emma added going to fruit section of the store, picking up several items.

That evening the tension between them was back, as they ate Regina's spaghetti in silence, neither offering to start a conversation, the looks thrown over the table, glancing away when they caught the eyes watching them back. But when Regina took a bottle of wine and two glasses, having placed the bottle opener in her pocket, and walked out to the terrace on the roof, Emma followed her without question.

As they took their seats, Regina passed the bottle to Emma to open it, watching as the deft fingers handled their task. Wordlessly toasting them, the brunette sipped the wine and sat back, her posture of the Evil Queen, relaxed on her throne, but instead of cold, calculated and condescending look in her eyes, Regina gazed at the blonde with something akin gentle regard, before she spoke.

"I don't care about Walsh, or any other man in your life, until it interferes with Henry," Regina said clearly, her voice taking on a slightly softer edge when she continued. "That said, I am offering you a friendly ear for tonight, if you wish to share something." The offer in itself surprised Emma, even if the remark about her relationships was expected. "This is a limited time offer, Miss Swan."

"Emma," the blonde instantly corrected, and took a large swallow of the tasty white wine, preparing herself to talk.

"Emma," Regina acknowledged with a nod.

And, the blonde took the offer, talking about what Walsh had become to her, the remainder that she wasn't safe anywhere from the dangers of the fairy tale world, about the burden of the Savior, the ever changing demands placed on the woman, fighting a villain after a villain, not having a moment to sit down, to enjoy time with her son, with her family… She talked about mixed feelings she had about the newborn, her abandonment issues preventing her to enjoy the happy event and embrace her brother with acceptance. She talked about her parents and their incessant need to help her find her happy ending right away, pushing people her way, about Henry… From time to time Regina would offer an opinion, or ask a question meant more for Emma to think about things then to learn something. Then they ended up talking about the memories they shared, Regina once more explaining the process behind creation of the life Emma had had before Hook had given her the potion.

When Regina finally retired to bed, it was past midnight, meaning that they had spent six hours on the roof talking and sharing. The wine had been gone in the first hour, and after that they had switched to mineral water with lemons. She had heard some things she would have never guessed and in turn she had spoken of some of her darker moments, feeling their connection grow steadier. Pleased with the very satisfying evening, she closed her eyes, sinking into restful sleep.

She was awakened by a loud scream, muffled by the walls, startling her as she jumped out of bed, as she tried to summon her magic. Rolling her eyes at her forgetfulness, she opened the door of the room carefully, slinking off toward the sounds of sobbing in the living room, realizing what was happening the instant she saw the Savior. The blonde woman was weeping in the pillow, her fists bunched into the blanket, as she shook terribly. First, Regina thought that Emma was awake, trying to settle her emotions, but when she heard a soft murmur, she saw that the other woman was still in the grips of the nightmare. Coming closer, Regina reached for the blonde's shoulder trying to shake the woman awake but it didn't work. Emma's skin was sleek with sweat, her white top sticking to her, completely drenched while the woman herself was ice cold. Pushing the wet hair out of the pale face, Regina placed her palm onto the cheek, wet from the tears endlessly streaming over it, crouching beside the couch, trying once more to wake the blonde.

"Regina," Emma murmured brokenly and the brunette sighed in relief before she heard the rest of it. "Please, Regina. No… no…" Emma was having nightmares about her? Regina frowned, disappointed by that knowledge, having hoped that at least Emma did not see her as the Evil Queen. But, having attacked her in her office just several days before, bringing her to the brink of death, she guessed that the blonde's subconscious mind had a lot of material to create such dreams. "Regina, I'm sorry. I'm sorry." Almost choking on her sobs, Emma reached blindly for something and feeling the silk of Regina's pajamas, she pulled her hand closer to her, her palm creating a fist in the silk. "Please don't cry. I'll deal with her myself if you want. Please, don't hate me." Still sleeping blonde pulled Regina into her arms, the uncomfortable position doing nothing to deter the woman. "I'll do anything, please. I am sorry."

Regina closed her eyes, the tears slipping out of her eyes, her composure already shaken by startling awakening. It wasn't the Evil Queen Emma dreamt about… The pleading voice explained enough of the pictures haunting the blonde. Even though she was surprised with the offer to kill Marian just to make her happy again, the idea that Emma would do anything for her awed her beyond recognition. Similar words had been spoken when awake, but Regina guessed that the confirmation from the most vulnerable part of Emma's psyche was all it took to understand the impact the blonde's mistake had on the Savior herself. And, the mumbled words from the night before – Never, as I live and breathe, took on a different meaning, forcing more tears down Regina's face.

Not able to bear the heart wrenching sobs and pleas anymore, Regina leaned into the blonde and hugged her closely, deciding that if she couldn't wake Emma up, at least she would try to ease the dreams. "I forgive you," she whispered into the blonde's ear, the hot breath forcing down a shiver to run down Emma's spine. Regina smirked at the reaction, cataloguing it for later. The words she had said stopped the murmurs, however the blonde was still whimpering softly, gripping the silk firmly. "Emma, I forgive you."

After repeating the words over and over several times the blonde relaxed, sinking into restful sleep perhaps for the first time in weeks. Slowly, Regina opened the fist at her chest and released her clothes from the hold, managing to slip away without disturbing the blonde further. Sighing, she covered the blonde with the blanket, tucking her in as she went through the motions, before she wiped an errant tear from Emma's mostly dry cheek. Looking around she saw light peering in from the windows and with surprise she looked at the clock, seeing that it was already after five in the morning.

Taking a shower and dressing for the day, Regina thought back to the blonde, witnessing the nightmare making her thoughts and ideas about the Savior swirl, shown in the new light, rippling through her emotions as well. She took the book she had started reading the day they had arrived there, waiting for Emma to wake before getting on breakfast, not willing to rouse the woman with the noise of the kitchen.


	8. Chapter 8

It was the warmth of the Sun on her face that woke Emma from her slumber, feeling refreshed after a very long time. Sighing in pleasure as she stretched on the couch she kept her eyes closed just a while longer, enjoying the peace of a good night's rest. But, then something clicked in her mind as she became fully aware. She was in the living room on the couch, in the place she currently shared with the Storybrooke Mayor, woman who was an early riser. And if the Sun was high enough to actually get in the room it meant that it was well past her getting up time.

Freezing with the realization, she felt eyes on her and heard the steady breathing somewhere off to her right, telling her that her former nemesis was on the armchair looking at her, judging by the prickling on her skin.

"Good morning, Miss Swan," Regina addressed the still prone woman, the softness of the greeting dislodging some hazy memory of a dream in Emma before she opened her eyes and craned her head toward the Mayor. The woman herself was dressed impeccably, the off gray pencil skirt and the white oxford button up enhancing her poise of royalty that she was. A book was in her hand, leaning on the arm of the chair while other was on her crossed knee. But, it was the eyes that drew Emma's look, as she was still mute, not knowing whether Regina was angry with her for oversleeping, which if she thought about didn't make any sense for Emma noticed that the brunette hadn't even started the coffee, letting her sleep for a while longer. The soft brown looked down at her neutrally, neither disdain nor softness displayed in them. Oh, well, as long she wasn't on the receiving end of the full scale glare from the Queen, all was well.

"Morning," Emma replied finally, sitting up as the blanket fell to her lap, her hands going through her wild hair, trying to tame it as much as possible, blushing under the never ending scrutiny of the other woman. Not only that the woman was in her power outfit, beautiful as ever, but Emma is at her worst, sleep creases over her face, tangled hair and sweat stiffened top. Wait, Emma thought frowning as she looked down. She only sweated that much when she had nightmares, but if she had had one of them the previous night she would have woken in the middle of the night, just as she had in the nights before.

That hazy memory came again, soft words suffusing the terrifying dream she had, the words she had wanted to hear for weeks now, but ones that she knew that would not come in a very long time if ever. Perhaps it was a way for her brain to manage to sleep through the night, as she had clearly needed it, by creating one thing she desired. But, something didn't feel right about all that. She looked at the woman with a question in her eyes, the confusion twisting the features on her face, making Regina exhale in silent laugh for her perplexed face was the same of her son, whenever he was faced with something beyond his understanding.

A flash of a clear memory from the previous night lighted up in Emma's brain and she saw herself clutching Regina's silk pajama shirt, pulling her desperately toward herself, begging. The words she had heard were real, the realization hitting her abruptly. Regina had witnessed her nightmares, knew she was in them. And, furthermore, the woman had offered her forgiveness, gently easing her out of the grips of her worst fears. Emma had known that whenever she was having terrible nightmares, more devastating than her regular ones, she had cried and talked in her sleep, but she could never remember what she had said afterwards. Swallowing hard, she bowed her head in mortification and rose from the couch, almost jumping to her feet in her need to be away, away, from the woman that had seen her in her most vulnerable state. That had seen her weaknesses laid open. But, before she could move out of the room, the commanding voice of the brunette stopped in her track.

"Miss Swan."

Emma froze in her step, facing away from Regina, not daring neither to look back nor to move forward, closing her eyes against the shame and bracing herself for a dress down or something of the sort. Regina was a predator, something that Emma loved about the woman, and it was not in the nature of such hunters to turn away from the scent of blood or exposed weaknesses.

Regina had closed her book, watching the blonde's face in rapt attention, seeing emotions change rapidly, from confusion to dread that brought paleness to Emma's cheeks, fear, embarrassment, then settling on the need to escape, to run, as she had used to do whenever the things got too close to bringing down her walls. The Mayor could understand it, as someone who had high and thick walls herself, but it did not prevent her from enjoying the show, her mind absently commenting of the ruffled look of the panicking woman, thinking her cute. But before she could pay more attention to the remark her own mind had made the blonde was on the run and Regina was not about to let her hide, neither literally – by going to another room, nor figuratively - behind her emotional walls. Although it would be easy for her to let Emma go, not particularly wanting to have this conversation, Regina had Henry's expectant look in mind and his worried glance he would direct at her whenever she heard Robin or Roland's name. They had talked extensively about it at the mansion, her almost grown boy offering to be her sounding board, as she hadn't trusted Hopper since the whole oversharing thing, and his however veiled attack at the Town Hall meeting, expecting her to be guilty of casting another curse, but out of some kind of slip-up rather than vengeance or whatnot. Honestly, she had preferred open hostility of the dwarves than his pathetic try to appeal to her to confess for her own sake. However, there were some things that she couldn't or rather wouldn't share with her son, deeming him too young to deal with such issues and out of her desire to protect him from her own problems. But, he had said something in passing, something that had caught her attention.  _Forgiveness is something to be given, for to truly forgive means to let go of the darkness plaguing one's soul, not ease the burden of another._  Regina knew her son and his sneaky ways very well, feeling very proud of his ingenious manipulation and deft orchestration of events. But, she did not appreciate being on the receiving end of his plan.

But the old habits die hard. Even though she had heard her son's words, and had taken them to heart, she had still attacked the woman the day after, or verbally eviscerated her two days later for no reason. And, she had noticed something during those attacks. Emma had not fought back. She had just stood there, receiving everything Regina had done with stoicism and deference. The easily won surrender had made her victories taste bitter in her mouth.

She looked at the blonde still frozen in front of her, the white top showing sweat stains and the light cotton shorts, white as well, and pursed her lips. That wouldn't do. "Miss Swan," she repeated, and she saw the unintentional flex of Emma's shoulders. She waited for Emma to turn, as her tone was clear enough, but she would not deign herself to demand, or worse, ask the blonde to turn. True Queen could command her people with just a glance or a softly spoken word, and as it seemed, Emma was hers, no matter how she, or the Mayor herself, fought against it.

Giving up all the hopes of actually getting away, Emma let her shoulders droop and slowly glanced over one of them to see her captor, expecting anything and yet not ready for it at all, steeling herself and summoning all of her defiance. She was met with a raised eyebrow and pointed look that inexplicably pulled at her to turn completely around and fully face the woman still imperiously sitting on her living room chair as it was her throne. And, as if she was laughing to an internal joke, Regina smirked at the blonde, her eyes roaming over Emma's face, before setting on the rebellious but shifting look in the blonde's eyes, enjoying the return of the sheer insolence and stubbornness that some might even call pride into the bane of her existence. Emma had always been one of those people to keep fighting to the very end, refusing to submit, to give control to someone else, and once upon a time, Regina would take tremendous pleasure in breaking her, but now, the Queen herself was a changed person, even though her darker instincts still resurfaced from time to time.

"You may have realized what happened last night, but I want you to understand that it changes very little," Regina spoke calmly and nonchalantly, as if she was commenting on the weather. Then her eyes focused with all the lethal force she possessed, piercing Emma on the spot. "I do not trust you, Miss Swan, and I am still very angry with you." With that said, Regina rose from her seat, effectively ending the conversation and dismissing the other woman, and the blonde could see her as the ruler in the Enchanted Forest, the deadly sensuality coupled with precise and haughty moves, while she moved to the kitchen to finally start the coffee.

"Thank you," Emma whispered, not moving toward her.

"I did not do it for you." Regina answered back snappily. "For Henry neither," she added more softly as she pulled out the cups. She had done it for herself primarily, but there was a small part in her that had done this for those two, Henry, because she wanted him happy and able to spend time not worrying about his parents killing each other, and Emma – well, that was a rather complicated issue.

"I know," the Savior spoke softly. "And, I thank you anyways." Leaving the other woman to take a shower and to retreat from the thick air in the room, Emma walked away.

Soon after that, Henry came back home all aglow with excitement and glee having been able to spend some time with his friends. Finding both of his mothers there he smiled at them, hugging and kissing them both individually, before dropping himself onto the couch. After he talked their ear off about the party, he started playing the Diablo game, letting the women figure out lunch. He had seen that the things had changed somewhat but he couldn't pinpoint it exactly. Emma had stopped avoiding Regina's eyes so much, and the brunette didn't have to try just as hard not to speak scathingly toward the Savior. Inconspicuously throwing looks over his shoulder, he watched them work together in silence, Emma cutting vegetables while Regina was beside the stove, preparing to make vegetable broth.

Later, Emma took his hand and guided him back onto the couch, sitting beside him, Regina taking the other side. "Is everything OK?" he asked, unnerved with the united parental front.

"Yes, everything is fine." Emma smiled encouragingly at him. "I just need to tell you something."

"You are not staying here, are you? Emma…" Henry reached for her with panic in his eyes, before he turned toward Regina gripping her hand as well.

"No, Henry, I'd never leave you. I wanted to talk to you about something else. We are going for a bit of a walk later, all three of us."

"Okay, cool. Where are we going? Central Park? Natural History Museum? Mom, that place is so cool and awesome." Henry started babbling, and Emma smiled at his exuberance.

"Henry," she warned him softly before she lost him completely. "We can go to AMNH on Friday, but in the afternoon we are going to SoHo."

"SoHo?" Henry repeated in surprise as he looked at Emma, not understanding what was so important in SoHo for her to set him onto the couch for this particular talk. "There is nothing there, except…" Both Emma and Regina saw when he remembered what was in SoHo that was important to them. "Dad's place."

"Yes."

"It's still there?"

"No one has been inside since before we left for Storybrooke on Jolly Roger. Except me, of course." Seeing confusion in his eyes, Emma explained everything to him, that it had been the place that helped her accept Killian's claim and drink the potion, that Gold had engineered it so that the place and all Neal's belongings go to him as an inheritance, including the money that she had already transferred into his trust fund. She then told him about her decision to sell the place, as they had already decided to keep their apartment, and that she wanted him to see it first and see if he wanted anything from it before she dealt with all of the remaining points.

He agreed morosely to go to the place, but asking Emma, and Regina, if they could take a walk to there, knowing it would take them quite a bit of time, giving him enough of it to prepare for it. The understanding the women showed for his uncertainty helped him ease into the particular mindset, as they went to take a long stroll toward his father's place.

The walk itself was enjoyable, as Henry walked between his mothers, telling jokes, sharing stories and just plain conversation about Storybrooke and them, carefully avoiding all the fantastical details such as magic and fairy tales, just in case… When Emma looked at them rolling her eyes at the warning both brunettes spoke, telling them that it was New York and that Regina could stroll down the street in her more risqué Evil Queen outfits and no one would bat an eye. But, Regina sharply reminded her that there were people so adamantly opposed to magic, just like Tamara, people who actively searched for it, and she couldn't allow Storybrooke to be exposed, making Emma nod wisely, from then cleaning up her talk. Taking a longer route, by the Canal Street, they walked slowly, watching the windows of the shops on their way. Suddenly Emma disappeared from behind them, and Henry smirked knowing his blonde mother very well. Before Regina could pull out her phone and call the damn woman, he pointed toward Starbucks, telling her that she just probably went for coffee, but he knew that Emma was going to use that as an excuse, firstly running off to Dunkin' Donuts down the block. When she returned with the trademark box of donuts in her hands, Regina only rolled her eyes, suppressing her smile and gratefully accepted a venti cup of coffee prepared to her taste. Emma gave Henry his chocolate and left her own cup on the box, deciding to wait until they got to the place.

A leisure walk and twenty minutes later they were in front of the building, the number eighty three just as damaged as it had been two years before when he had been there for the first time, with Rumple and Emma. With a deep sigh he walked in, followed by his mothers and climbing the stairs he found himself in front of the familiar door. Getting the keys from Emma, he opened it and went inside, the place so different with all things already in the boxes, but still the same as he remembered.

They stayed there for a while, letting Henry look through the things and the pictures Emma had left there. He would often come to his mother and speak of moments he had spent with his father, including the first moment he had met him, while Emma listened and chewed on rainbow sprinkled donut. Then he would ask Emma about the times in the pictures, listening with rapt attention from Regina's embrace. They spent several hours there, eating and drinking, with Henry picking up only several trinkets and a coat that still faintly smelled of the man, before they went home, Emma urging them to take a cab, rather than walk all the way back. Regina did not comment on it, but silently agreed as her feet were starting to ache.

That evening Henry was quick to fall asleep, exhausted both emotionally and physically, having not slept for long at his sleepover. Regina had allowed him to skip dinner as he had eaten four donuts, with a promise that he would eat extremely healthily until the party on Sunday. The women retired early too, tired and needing time apart.

_Emma walked through dense foliage looking for someone, her blade cutting through the overgrown branches in her path. She needed to hurry, she felt, as the time was running out. Weaving with her cutlass she jumped over the downed log listening to the sounds of the jungle as Snow had thought her in Neverland. Suddenly she found herself on small clearing before the ledge, and as she peered over it, she saw Storybrooke in the valley below, the lights of the small town clear in the night._

_A gurgle was heard from behind her, and Emma turned with her weapon raised to meet whoever was behind her. But what she saw made her blood turn cold, as she rushed to the downed figure, throwing herself on the ground. The wounds covered most of the flesh before her, and the precious liquid was departing its host too quickly. Emma leaned over the figure, taking one of limp hands into her own, willing her magic to surface, to heal, focusing on all the desperation and need to keep this woman alive and well._

_"Come on, come on," she kept trying, closing her eyes, not understanding why it wasn't working._

_The molten chocolate eyes opened slightly and not able to focus properly on her, smiled with a broken smile. "You're… cursed…, Emma. No… magic…, remember?" the woman gasped, a trickle of blood leaving her mouth, creating a crimson trail on her chin._

_"Then heal yourself, Regina. Come on!" Emma pleaded, quickly stripping her top, left only in her bra, in the attempt to at least slow the bleeding at the most critical places._

_"I… can't…" The brunette coughed as her lungs filled up, her breaths shorter and harder._

_"Damn it Regina, fight this! For Henry!" Emma didn't even know that her hot tears spilled over onto the woman's face, bathing her. "For me!" Regina closed her eyes and tried to lift her hand to her Savior, making her look into her eyes._

_"Can't save me… Not your fault." Using her last breath to absolve the blonde, Regina smiled at her and as her hand fell to the ground, her heart stopped, overburdened and empty as her eyes lost their shine, the spark of life extinguished._

Emma straightened up on the couch, stifling her fist into her mouth just in time to stop the gut wrenching scream from coming out, the sound stuck in her throat, tearing through her voice cords. Rapidly breathing to calm her thunderously beating heart, she disentangled herself from the sheets and rushed into the bathroom, the stomach acid climbing up through her, managing to reach the toilet just in time to heave, thanking gods for the thick walls of the apartment.

Hours later, Regina emerged from her room and found the living room and the kitchen empty, with coffee already prepared and bagels from a nearby bakery split and with the cheese cream spread on them, waiting to be eaten. She glanced toward the end table and saw Emma's phone and wallet still there, guessing where the woman was. Picking her breakfast, Regina remarked to herself how strange it was not to be one preparing breakfast but sitting back, letting Emma do most of the work. Except for her meals at Granny's, Regina had always prepared food for herself and others, so this change was unusual but welcome for the moment.

After eating quickly, she took her coffee and went up, finding the blonde in her spot, leaning on the wall on the ledge, looking somewhere in the distance. When she stepped beside Emma, the other woman nodded in greeting, slightly leaning her head toward Regina. But when the brunette saw Emma's face she frowned in concern, the bloodshot eyes and pale, slightly green skin a dead giveaway of another rough night, but this time Regina knew it had been worse than before.

"Again?" the brunette asked gently, Emma understanding her question – had she been dreaming the same thing, again. The words ringed with tenderness, but underneath it, barely hidden was something akin compassion, and dared she think, affection?

Shaking her head, Emma turned to her side, facing the woman, as she leaned with her hip on the wall. But, Regina did not accept the silent answer, her eyes demanding more. "Different," she managed, her voice hoarse from the hurling. At the sound of her voice Regina winced in sympathy and nodded, taking that answer over her need to know more. But, judging by the croak and the grimace that the blonde sported, she had spent her night either screaming her head off, or throwing up, possibly both.

"You should make some tea for that…" Regina gently advised before turning toward the view. "You are going to the bank today, and to the real estate agency?" Regina formed her question keeping in mind that Emma should not speak for long, and glancing toward the other woman she just caught a confirming nod. "Somewhere else?"

"Post Office and Henry's School," Emma whispered, saving her vocal cords.

"School?" Why would Emma go to his school, when he was not attending anymore? Oh, right. Truancy laws… "To sign him out," she added right after, catching another nod. "Do you know when you will back?"

"Dinner, probably…" Emma looked at the sky and frowned, trying to calculate the time. "Should go." They both went inside and the blonde took her things and left, waving in goodbye to Regina, wishing her a good day.


	9. Chapter 9

Emma decided to go to Henry's school administration first, as their offices would be first to open. Therefore, she directed herself into the familiar big building, greeting the security guard on the entrance by his name and finding the secretary quickly, she explained to them that she and Henry were moving to a different town and that Henry would not be attending their establishment anymore. The principal, a disciplined middle aged woman by the name of Melinda Price, frowned at the move that late in the semester, deeming it highly inconvenient for a child, asking the blonde is she could postpone the move for another month. But, after receiving the negative answer, Ms. Price took out Henry's file and signed the transfer papers, giving Emma all the necessary documents for the enrolling the boy into a different school. Wishing them good luck, Ms. Price expressed that she was sad to see such a wonderful and talented student go.

Just as she was leaving the building, Emma's phone rang and she answered it automatically, thinking it was Henry, as she had left before he had gotten up. "Hello, sweetie, it's me," Snow's voice filled her ear.

"Hi, mom," she answered sheepishly, having forgotten to call back two days before. "I forgot," Emma apologized, using the time she was spending on conversation to walk to her next destination. "What's up?"

"Nothing much, just calling to check in. How are you doing?" Emma rolled her eyes at Mary Margaret's overly casual tone, as if the pixie haired brunette hadn't fretted, looking into the phone every hour to see if she had missed calls.

"I am pretty much tied up with the things here, but Henry and Regina are having a blast," she said with a smile. "He's so excited that she's here."

"And, you two?"

"I don't know, mom," Emma sighed as she crossed the street. "She hasn't killed me yet, so there is that. I think we managed somehow to form a truce, but I am not sure." Mary Margaret kept quiet, hearing the confusion, and was it hope in Emma's voice? Checking on Neal and preparing tea, she paid attention to her daughter she missed. "Perhaps being away from all the madness there is helping." Emma added softly. "What's happening there?"

"Sneezy found a proper lock for your place, and Leroy and he will install it a bit later. Which reminds me, they wanted me to ask if you want a dead bolt on the apartment door as well, or just for downstairs?"

"Just down is fine, the door upstairs have a lock as well, it's enough," the blonde answered, remembering she had asked the dwarves, along with Marco, to do some minor work, telling she would pay them for it. Sometimes she wondered how the town was still functioning, with timely paid salaries and other things when it had very little job opportunities.

"Ruby suggested you add a weapon rack downstairs, for swords and whatnot, because you never know what's coming." Mary Margaret added with humor, but it struck Emma as very true.

"I don't know, she might have a point. It's Storybrooke, after all.

Their conversation continued for several more minutes, with Emma telling Mary Margaret the general plan for the next few days, and that they would return on Sunday evening, most likely, giving then enough time to make her new place perfect. Emma had warned her parents that they had to follow her instructions to the letter, threatening them with bodily harm otherwise. Snow chuckled at the reminder, telling her daughter that they had it all under control, and that Ruby was there every step of the way giving helpful suggestions, most of them which Charmings were not taking into the consideration, as Emma did not need a dancing pole, or aquarium walls.

All in all, her day went by fast, running from one appointment to another, finishing them all on the good note, satisfied with her relatively speedy success. She did feel a bit envious of Henry and Regina, as they had texted her from the Central Park, Henry managing to convince Regina into going on a carriage ride, all the while sending Emma pictures as updates.

Letting Regina know that she wouldn't be able to make it to dinner, the blonde met with the realtor, arranging the conditions of the sale and the accounts to which the money would be deposited. As she read the standard client contract, the agent explained to Emma that SoHo places were a very hot property, snagging buyers almost instantly. Making a good deal, the Savior added her signature to the contract, employing the agency. When she was finished with everything for that day, it was well past seven in the evening, and stopping by to buy a box of ice cream she checked her messages, noticing instantly the lack of them.

"Hey, kid," she greeted as she went into her place, half an hour later, finding him playing the game, having a serious feeling of déjà vu, throwing her back to the night Walsh had proposed to her. "Where's your mom?" she asked, putting the ice cream in the freezer and sitting beside him on the couch.

"Went for a walk." Pausing the game, he turned toward her and looked into her tired face. "David called - something about needing permission for something. She left right after dinner, saved you some, by the way." He then frowned not knowing what was going on, but the stunned face of his brunette mother was enough to clue him in it was something serious and bad. "She was really weird about it."

Not even wasting time to respond, Emma called her father, wanting the information directly from the source, as she jumped of the couch, going to the breakfast bar, her son's eyes following her. "What happened?" she asked instantly the line was connected.

The Sheriff sighed heavily, throwing his pencil down onto the report he had just been writing, oddly enough, on the very incident Emma was asking about. "Marian and Robin had a very public shouting match, almost coming to blows. Roland couldn't take it and rushed out of the diner onto the street. Luckily, Robin was fast enough to push him out of the way of incoming car."

"Oh, God. And, Robin?" Emma asked, sitting down heavily at the side table, now understanding Regina's 'weirdness'.

"Some scrapes and a broken wrist, along with a suspicion of a concussion. Whale has him under observation just in case." David replied as he motioned to Ruby to sit.

"Henry tells me you needed permission," Emma prompted him, after she had sighed in relief. Snow had already told her of rapidly worsening arguments, as Marian refused to understand that everyone had changed with all that had happened, the two curses and the dangers they had faced in between. Most of all, she refused to accept that Regina was a very different person from the one she had known, now on the side of the good. But, Emma thought that the most of the conflict was coming from the woman's jealousy and anger that Robin had moved on, and had been on his way to start over, with the Evil Queen of all people.

"The car swerved ad mowed over the hydrant beside Granny's," David explained, quickly adding that the driver was fine.

"That must've been a scene," Emma commented, stifling her laughter at the imagined face of Eugenia Lucas, water pouring over her tables outside, understanding that Regina, as the Mayor, had to approve any major construction work on the town's property.

"Whenever you want your job back, you are free to have it," her father said tiredly, excusing himself with the need to return to work. Emma chuckled, giving the idea some thought, as she did need a job if she was to live in Storybrooke. She had brought the deputy badge David had given her the day she had come to them, mostly for sentimental reasons, for it reminded her of her father and her first real home, however she was not the member of Storybrooke Sheriff's office yet, but there in her more fairy tale role - the Savior.

The Savior wanted to give Regina her space and time, but the night was falling and the brunette did not know the city well, how dangerous it was for a lonely woman at night, especially for someone as audacious as Regina, used to have her magic at her beck and call. She dialed the number from memory, waiting for the line to connect, her impatience and concern getting better of her, taking Henry's phone as well, accessing her tracking application, having already installed the tracer on the woman's phone in secret just several days before. But, the Mayor's confused tone answered the phone.

When David had called her, the brunette thought that something major, like a new villain, had happened and that they were required to go back, the town needing its Savior, and with Emma's penchant of not answering to her parents, it was a valid concern. But when he had told her what had actually happened, she had gone through several extreme emotions, not able to settle on one. Finishing dinner, she had informed Henry of her plans to clear her head, informing him that she would bring her phone with her and that Emma had dinner in the fridge, the domestic moment going unacknowledged as she had been still under the impression of the news.

Letting her legs guide her, she had thought about the information she had gotten. The child had escaped without any marks on him, luckily. Robin had been injured, but nothing even remotely life threatening. But when she had learned the reason why the accident had even occurred, she had felt numbness inside, numbness that slowly had been giving way to more confusing feelings.

Was she glad that Robin was not happy? Or that Marian could not adapt to the new ways of life? No, she wasn't as too many people suffered, most of all Roland, the most innocent one in the whole situation.

But, again, there was some deeply hidden grim satisfaction that she wasn't the only one miserable in that cursed town. Thinking of the man, she still felt too much, too many feelings mixed in together. Yes she had liked him very much, but was it love? Did she even know how romantic love felt like? They had gotten into each other rather quickly, Roland joining them more often than not, but perhaps it was too fast, too eager for them to actually feel the real love, acting on simple attraction, on the hope that they had found their second chance.

In the days she had closed herself off from others, she had started to deconstruct each part of their connection, letting her defensive mechanisms bring doubt to it. Most obviously glaring example was Robin himself. How could he ever accept to date the woman who had killed his wife? The woman who had ordered his capture and execution? Had it been some kind of twisted revenge? But, she would dismiss that theory instantly, just because Robin would never toy with Roland in that way. He had told her that it had been his fault for Marian's death, but could he really place no blame at her feet? Or had he even known who had captured Marian? However, now he knew... The thoughts swirled in her mind, doubts, memories, ideas intertwining and deforming, creating a twisting mixture of words that had lost all meaning.

She was so lost in her ruminations, going through motions, not paying attention to the streets. So when her phone rang, she startled, reaching for it automatically, as she looked around trying to get her bearing.

"Yes?" she spoke, totally lost, none of the streets seeming familiar at all, as she looked around.

"Do you know where you are?" Emma's voice sounded in her ear, the rushed but pointed question telling Regina that Emma had somehow guessed that she would need navigation. "Regina?"

"No," she said, as she turned around, trying to see anything that might help, but all she saw were tagged buildings and some really unsavory company. "I don't know," she added softly, a trickle of fear passing over her spine.

"You walked all the way to the Alphabet City," the Savior replied, and Regina could hear the blonde softly tell something to Henry, before the door was closed. "I am on my way to get you."

"How is it that you know where I am?" Then Regina remembered how they had found Henry on the docks. "Should I remind you that placing a tracker on someone is a criminal offence, Miss Swan?"

"Are you seriously complaining about this right now?" Emma spoke exasperatedly, as she started the engine. "I didn't want you getting lost," she added, turning the phone on the speaker and placing it onto her lap. "Speaking of criminal, David wants me to take over the Sheriff's Office," the blonde mentioned as she expertly weaved through the traffic, cutting down her time. Luckily, she managed to get into a green wave, and thanked the stars for letting her take the easier way for once.

"I support his offer wholeheartedly," Regina replied with perfect composure that would fool almost anyone, but Emma knew her, knew her every tell, and that slight shaking of her voice she could easily detect and recognize, told her that the woman was actually afraid.

"Oh, did you miss me?" The obnoxiousness was the quickest way to distract the Mayor, invoking irritation and perhaps anger in her.

"Don't be ridiculous," came the cutting remark, oddly lacking much of its punch. Emma pressed the gas pedal even more, her gut telling her something was about to go wrong. Very wrong. At the same time she remembered her dream from that night quite vividly, the similar situations really not helping her anxiety. "It is that you are much better at writing reports than your father." Regina added in consideration. "And, with the baby, he would need shorter hours and additional help at the station, so you would come in at the perfect time."

"And I will need the job…" she murmured, as she turned onto the Huston Street, her tires squealing.

Regina heard the car roaring and as she was to reprimand the blonde for driving recklessly, and also teasing her about the need to move out of the Bed & Breakfast, she saw two men walking directly toward her, their coloring not really clear, eyeing her like a piece of meat, their moves portraying young and cocky predators. "Emma?" Regina swallowed before whispering, "Hurry."

Hearing the fear and the plea in the brunette's voice, and right after that hearing male voices calling out in the mixed Spanish to Regina, mostly rude and vile comments heckling the woman, Emma gunned down the engine, gripping the wheel tightly. "Hold on, Regina," she said, hoping that the brunette would be able to hear her and take courage and strength from that. The voices were coming closer, commenting on Regina's clothes, body, offerings to show her a good time, every new comment with more salaciousness added, cockiness evident in the men. Then she heard Regina snap back in her Mayoral fashion, her tone doing nothing to dissuade the men who by the sounds of it had her pinned.

"Get your hands off me!" Regina spoke, her icy tone deadly, but instead of fear it caused laughter, the men commenting on her claws.

Finally, Emma turned into the Avenue D and caring not a little bit, she rushed up the street, needing to get to Regina as soon as possible. After several tense seconds, she saw her under the headlights, her snappy suit easy to pick up. Slamming the breaks only when she was just yards away from them, she rushed out, pulling one of the guys off Regina, pushing the other away without warning. But before she could grab the woman, she was seized from side and thrown on the ground, one of the thugs not ready to give up, his buddy joining him, two women still seeming as easy targets. But, Emma had lived in seedier parts of cities for years and she had learned how to protect herself. With a well-placed kick, she stopped one of them from crowding her, while she avoided the other one's swing. Putting more distance between her and those two, she glanced behind, seeing Regina still leaning against the brick wall, probably in state similar to shock.

However, her respite was short. The men came at her simultaneously, landing several punches on her, but she managed to gain an advantage, using her speed and ability to push through pain, she knocked one of them out using a rapid succession of precise hits, but it left her too open for the other one who grabbed her by neck and slammed in the wall. Although she was momentarily blinded by pain, she managed to push the guy away, getting closer to Regina, who helped her stand.

"Damn it," Emma mumbled as she felt something warm trickle down her neck.

The thug was back, now brandishing a knife, his sneer wide as he watched the women. "Shoulda known ya were dykes. I'll show ya what a man can do." The man swiped with his weapon several times through the air, getting closer to the blonde, waiting for her to move away from the other woman, his raucous laughter only making Emma grind her teeth. Just as he jumped forward waving his blade, Emma moved toward him, getting under his arm holding the knife, in a move that would probably injure them both, but Emma was only thinking of getting Regina out of there, not letting her dream come true. As she gripped the forearm with the weapon, she used her wide stance to shift her balance and kicking the man into his groin with her knee, she overbalanced for a second. But it was enough for the edge of the blade to pass over her back, cutting through the leather, her shirt and skin, making her scream in pain, before she angrily drew back her fist and slammed it into the guy's nose.

Just in the moment when the second guy was falling down on the ground, moaning in pain, a patrol car came upon them, the cops instantly jumping out with their weapons drawn. Quickly assessing the situation, the officers cuffed the offenders, calling the ambulance for Emma.

"Holy shit, I didn't recognize you, Swan," one of the guys in blue spoke up, and Emma focused on him for a second before her eyes found Regina's, who was being questioned by the other officer.

"Hey, Peters." Emma spoke softly as she straightened up with a grimace of pain, reaching for his shoulder.

"You know the drill, tell me from the beginning." Officer Peters instructed, letting her lean against the hood of the Mercedes and noted down everything Emma said, not commenting the fact that the blonde not once did move her eyes from the other woman. She told him about the position the other woman held in Storybrooke, the walk, the phone call… She talked about all the works, intimately familiar with this part, her job as a bail bondsperson often leading her into similar situations, and in the last year, she had formed a work connection with Peters, meeting him on her runs several times. "Good, you're done, and in good time, as the ambulance is here." He pointed toward the white red vehicle with flashing lights coming toward them.

Emma gingerly raised herself from the hood and slowly walked toward Regina, the woman meeting her half way, having dismissed the other officer from her space. Placing her hand on the torn sleeve of the gray blazer, Emma looked over the woman, searching for injuries, her worried eyes finally focusing on the brown ones. "Are you hurt?" she asked softly, gripping the arm beneath her fingers weakly, suddenly feeling faint and the pounding in her head getting stronger. She never got to hear Regina's answer as she tumbled forward, losing her fight to remain conscious, and if Regina had not stopped her fall, Emma would've ended on the ground.

"Emma!" Regina shouted in panic as the blonde hanged limply from her arms, the weight too much for the regal woman. However, a paramedic appeared right beside them, taking on the blonde, guiding her gently onto the gurney. "Emma," the woman tried again, getting the blonde to open her dazed eyes.

"Saved you," Emma whispered with a smile, when she saw the brunette above her, the darkness framing the woman while the lights of the ambulance and headlights of the police car made her face shine, before passing out again.

"Ma'am, we need to take her to hospital now," the paramedic urged Regina to move. She glanced toward her car, before she made a decision and forced her way into the ambulance, sitting right beside the gurney, deeming her beloved car an acceptable collateral damage. However, what she didn't know was that Peters had seen her look and with a short agreement with his colleague, he asked the driver of the ambulance where they were going and jumped into the black car which had its keys in the ignition, having informed his partner of the name of the hospital.

Regina quickly fished out the phone out of her pocket she had stuffed it in when the men had pressed her against the wall, calling her son immediately informing him of the situation, warning him that he was not to call his grandparents or to come, no matter how much he wanted to. She promised that they would be home later that night.

And truthful to her word, Regina led Emma into the apartment around two in the morning, immediately accosted by their overwrought son, who had been waiting for them in the living room. Guiding the blonde toward the couch, she kissed Henry on the forehead, and gently lowered Emma down, letting her turn to the side, seeing the wince crossing over the Savior's face.

When they had arrived at the Emergency Room at Beth Israel, Emma had been wheeled into one of the trauma rooms, while Regina had had to stay outside, watching a doctor and several nurses work. After a failed attempt to remove her from there and send her into a waiting hall, the nurse at the reception had concluded they had been a couple and Regina had done nothing to dissuade of such assumption, knowing that only then she would be able to be fully briefed on the Savior's condition.

_After twenty minutes of extreme worry, she prowled the hall in front of Emma's treatment room, waiting for news. Her name was called out and she saw one of the officers that had come to them in the Alphabet City, Peters she thought his name had been. He came to her, offering her a bottle of water, joking that the coffee was deadly itself, and explained that he had parked the car on the spot visible from the entrance, giving her the keys. She thanked him gracefully, as she glanced toward the door that was hiding the blonde from her. Just in that moment a figure in scrubs appeared, taking off the gloves and pushing the sweat doused hair of her forehead._

_"Here for Emma Swan?" the doctor asked, looking at Regina with tired interest. "She is will be fine," she said immediately after she drew near the anxious woman, and smiled at the relieved sigh that had left the brunette's lips. "We were suspecting that she had a grade three concussion, but when she awoke she explained to us the previous conditions and most likely that with the adrenalin crash had caused her to pass out. We are waiting for more tests."_

_"She didn't sleep last night, and I don't think she ate," Regina mentioned absently, as she waited for the rest of it. She had seen the blood on Emma's back, and had heard her shout in pain when that knife had passed over her back._

_"Yes, she also told us that she had a full day today, so that is all contributing to her condition. Now, the wound on her back is not deep but it is seven inches long. I stitched it, as well as the cut on her head. She also has grade three contusions on her thighs, upper arms and her left shoulder. She has a grade two contusion on her neck. We have given her fluids and some medication, consisting of antibacterials and pain relievers." As the doctor explained Emma's condition, Peters excused himself, having gotten the call, and Regina was guided into the treatment room._

_Emma was awake, sitting up on the hospital bed in a paper gown, fiddling with the IV line going into her arm and the moment the door opened she looked up and smiled at the Mayor. "Finally. Spring me out, I am fine." Although, her voice was scratchy from the damage to her throat, Emma spoke with confidence. When Regina frowned, noticing the already red wine colored bruises and directed her look at the doctor in askance._

_"I need to see the test results back and you cannot leave until the IV is empty as most of your medication is in there. But, if you are adamant, you can leave after that, seeing that it is only a grade two concussion, but you will need to follow the releasing instructions to the letter."_

They had waited for three hours, and in the meanwhile Regina had gotten many tips of caring for the wounds Emma had suffered, and with a bag of medical supplies, medications, fully typed instructions and Beth Israel scrubs instead of Emma's ruined shirt and jacket, they had gone home, Regina driving with Emma providing instructions how to get there, holding the bag with her personal effects in her hand, offering her suggestions from the back seat, leaning against the front seat.

Helping to reassure Henry that Emma was going to be fine, Regina sent the boy to bed, letting him to hug his blonde one more time before that. Then she urged Emma to wipe the blood of her skin with a wet towel as she couldn't take a shower just yet. And, when the blonde moved her sheets onto the couch, the Mayor only shook her head and led her to the bedroom, offering to switch places, as Emma needed to keep the pressure off her back.

"Hey, get back here," Emma mumbled, the exhaustion that had threatened to drown her for the previous several hours evident in her half lidded eyes as she turned her head toward the door, as well as the pain killers that worked almost instantly. "It's a big bed, we can share." Regina agreed, albeit very reluctantly and only after Emma mentioned that the company would keep the dreams away, already falling asleep. Situating herself beside the slumbering blonde, she could see the white bandages peaking under Emma's top, going diagonally across the spine very close to neck, along with vividly colored flesh. Regina shuddered to think what could have happened if that damn knife had sank deeper into her flesh, and surrendered to restless sleep.


	10. Chapter 10

The next day came with both women still in bed, sleeping, Emma on her belly, having pushed her pillow out of the way, her hand resting in the middle of the queen sized mattress, while Regina was on her side, turned toward the Savior, her hands under the pillow. Henry walked in quietly, smirking at Emma's outreach, having known for a while that she had felt something toward his other mom, his precociousness giving him much insight in the behavior of people around him. He walked slowly to bed, to the brunette's side and gently climbed over her, not at all surprised at the arms pulling him close and lips kissing his forehead. He could never sneak up on the woman, even though she would sometimes pretend not to notice him, for the sake of his playfulness.

"Morning," Regina murmured softly, holding her son closely, as she kept her eyes closed. He took her hand and intertwined their fingers while he looked at Emma, noticing the deep colored bruises on her arm and shoulder, and blood mated hair at the back of her head. The night before he hadn't seen any wounds, as they had been covered by Regina's ruined blazer, and he had been too distracted to pay close attention to her hair.

"Is she going to be all right?" he asked softly.

"Emma will recover fully, Henry. With luck there might not be even any scars left." Regina replied, completely awake, even though she still kept her eyes closed. "She is going to be in some pain the next few days, but when we get back to Storybrooke, Whale will get the sutures out and she'll be as good as new." Well, she knew it was a slightly more complicated than that, but she downplayed it for her son, thinking Emma would've done the same. In fact, Emma would not be able to drive for a while, or to sit back properly needing to let the cut heal without pressure on it. The bruises were painful, she knew from experience, and even though Emma pretended otherwise, Regina had seen her wince and stifle a groan with every step she had made on their way home.

"What do you thing we should do today?" he asked glancing back, as he thought that their deal of going to AMNH was off because of Emma's injuries.

"For starters, get some more sleep," the blonde groused, using her discarded pillow to hit her son on the belly, making him yelp in surprise. "You know, kid, I was kind of hoping to sleep in this morning," Emma added as she looked at him with still hazy green eyes and winked at him, before burrowing herself into the sheets murmuring sleepily all the while. Henry chuckled at his grumbling mother and just lied back, enjoying the quiet time in her bed, his head on Regina's pillow, beside hers.

Later they went on a whole day adventure, as Emma refused to be stuck in the apartment, regardless of her injuries. Apart from several awkward moments early in the day, like the one when Emma needed Regina to put the protecting covering over her wound for the shower, or the ointments and fresh bandage afterwards, they got ready and left their place. On their way down they decided that they would go to the museum first and then go where their fancy struck them. Having hailed a cab, Regina ushered the blonde in the back beside Henry, her warning look stopping any comments.

Once they were in the glorious and huge building of AMNH, passing right underneath the monstrous skeleton of T-Rex, the women followed the excited boy who talked a mile an hour, pulling Regina toward his favorite exhibitions, while Emma would stand a little back, letting the brunette have these moments with Henry, looking at them with gentle but somewhat strained smile. Although she had been given the pain medication, she hadn't taken it that morning for they made her feel all wonky, and she wanted to be fully present for their excursion. The downside of it was that her body hurt, especially the bruises on her thighs, even more when she was walking, but she gritted her teeth and pushed through keeping quiet, not wanting to douse Henry's, and Regina's, excitement and joy of this day.

However, Regina made sure to make frequent breaks, inconspicuously watching Emma's body language. During their late lunch in a deli, she offered Emma some aspirin along with her soda, the sharp look in her eyes telling her not to argue and not to even dare to deny that she was in pain. They ate sandwiches, before they went to a game store, Henry picking up his new favorites to bring to Storybrooke. The evening they spent in shopping, as both Henry and Regina wanted some new things, with Emma rolling her eyes at them, but patiently waiting as they picked their combinations, grateful that she had a place to sit. In those moments, the boy was Regina's son through and through, his criticizing look and sense of style matching hers.

Later in the evening, they brought home Chinese food and their new things, taking their dinner to eat out on the roof, enjoying the night and planning the next day down to the minute, as they were somewhat tight with time. As the other kids were coming around midday, right after lunch, Henry needed to pack his things in the morning, while Emma and Regina placed out the decorations and other requirements for the party. Then they just talked about Storybrooke, guessing what others were doing at this time of day, laughing at the images they conjured, until Regina shooed Henry to bed, telling him that he had a full schedule the next day.

Later that night, Emma woke from her sleep in the middle of the night, but this time she could not remember what had happened in her dream, as it wasn't what woke her in the first place. Her wound on her back was itching, the regenerating skin working its way to cover the cut. Reluctant to move, as she had learned that the woman beside her was a light sleeper, Emma lied on her front, her head turned toward the brunette, watching her sleep, keeping her breaths measured, despite her desire to reach behind and tear off the annoying piece of bandage of her back. Instead, she focused on the woman beside her, on the relaxed features of the brunette that often haunted her dreams one way or the other.

Even though that the former Queen had eased the cold shoulder toward the blonde, actually allowing some warmth to enter their conversations and connection, there was still an underlying feeling of mistrust and reluctance, and anger beneath their communication making it somewhat stilted and unnatural. And, to Emma, it made perfect sense that Regina would not let the Savior get away with what she had done that easily, regardless of her actions afterwards. Though, it was surreal for the Savior to be in the same bed with the woman who had tried to kill her several times before, with the woman she had saved several times before, and the woman she had hurt immensely several times before. Even so, her heart was screaming at her that it felt right, perfect, spending the nights beside her former enemy, where she was witness to a much softer side to the woman. It told her that there was something there between them, a spark they couldn't keep denying, regardless of their willingness to ignore it.

However, forced stillness never ended well for the blonde, and she needed to get out of the bed, of the room, of the apartment, away from her barely suppressed feelings, away from further complication in her life, away from pain that inevitably awaited her down that path. Slowly she managed move of the bed without moving it much, slipping out of the room stealthily, using all of her skills to slip out. Not caring that she was only in her off white beater and shorts, she walked out onto the roof, enjoying the cold air on her skin, the suddenness of it stopping her rampaging thoughts. After spending some time on the roof to calm down, Emma went back inside and prepared for a light jog, hoping it would help her ease her stiffened muscles and clear her head further, completely ignoring the wound on her back and her head.

But before she could even leave the apartment a hand grabbed her around her forearm, the grip firm but surprisingly gentle. "Where do you think you are going?" Regina asked her sharply, dressed only in her pajamas, forgoing the robe. When Emma only rolled her eyes at her and pulled her arm out of the hold, the brunette pressed the door close, not letting the Savior leave the place. "You'll rip out your sutures." She knew that the blonde had felt a great deal of frustration with her limitation but running was not the solution, especially not with the head wound.

Regina saw a flash of defiance in Emma's eyes but then something strange happened. Instead of expected reaction, the outburst of indignation or insubordination, the blonde turned away and sighed, walking back to the living room, before she dropped herself onto the couch, rather inelegantly in Regina's opinion. The brunette grimaced at the squeak the poor piece of furniture let out and waited for the inevitable wince or a hiss of pain, as Emma had leaned back, completely forgetting about her cut. And, it came in a shape of a quietly muttered curse as the blonde leaned onto her knees. As she was not in the mood to talk, and apparently neither was Emma, Regina offered the blonde to start packing, while she would get on breakfast and coffee.

Soon, Henry joined them, too excited to sleep in, as it was the day of his party and his last full day in the apartment. After a quick pancake breakfast, he pulled out the suitcases and placing them on his bed, he started putting things into them, making sure to pack all the things he had bought with Regina, throwing in his things from his closets, including his favorite pajamas and t-shirts.

It didn't take long for Emma to pack up, as she did not have many things, her habit of keeping her baggage as light as possible still intact, regardless of Regina's memory interference. And what was left in her closet after her trip to Storybrooke were some of her dresses and classier clothes that Emma had deemed highly impractical in the small town, but she had decided to bring them with her, hoping that she would have an occasion to wear them for. Finishing up, she joined Regina in the living room, taking over the placement of the streamers and other party paraphernalia while the brunette went to prepare snack plates and light lunch they would eat before the guests came.

It was barely noon when Henry announced that he was finished with his chores, his stuff piled up by the door of his room, ready for Emma to bring it down the next day. Joining his mothers in the kitchen, he ate, praising their decorative skills, despite Regina's frequent warnings not to talk with his mouth full. Not long after, the first guests started arriving, the cheery greetings instantly filling the place. Trendy music could be heard, just enough to give a proper tinge to the atmosphere but not to bother the chatty teenagers and their parents. Just three other parents showed up, in desire to help Emma with the party, knowing that she was a single mom. Avery's mother, Samantha, was somewhat friendly with the blonde as their sons had formed a fast friendship a year before, often having sleepovers and school projects.

"So," the redhead came to Emma as the party started winding down, carrying a glass of wine in her hand, lightly pushing the woman beside with her shoulder, "you and Regina, hmm?" Samantha took a sip of her wine smirking at Emma's sudden spit take of soda. "How long have you been together? And, by the way, what happened to that carpenter guy?"

"We're not together," Emma screeched quickly and quietly, mindful of the minors passing around them, glaring at the redhead. But, before she could clarify that she meant that Regina and she weren't together, the other mother continued.

"I should hope not, that goddess of a woman should be enough," Samantha giggled softly, loving the startled and pale look on Emma's face, purposefully misunderstanding the blonde. "You haven't taken your eyes of her the whole afternoon, Emma. Henry called her mom just several minutes ago, and you are moving to a place where she lives. It is pretty obvious what is happening here. I'm glad for you." Leaving sputtering blonde in the kitchen, Samantha went to her boy as he was waving her over. The words that the other woman spoke played out in Emma's mind the whole evening and as she said good bye to the last of their guests, Henry by her side, she considered the truth of what the red haired woman has said. Without the fantastical information she possessed, the others would pretty much assume what Samantha had already, that Regina was the reason they were moving to Maine. And, she realized that she did not mind their belief at all.

Henry and she returned to the apartment, sighing at the mess that was left behind. Regina had already picked up the dishes and was in the process of stacking up the washing machine, pointing them toward the trash bags she had pulled out for the debris that remained. Working with the gentle music in the background, Emma and the boy goofed around, sometimes singing along with the stereo, sometimes competing over who would pick up most of the damaged parts of streamers, or using up the remaining cans of silly strings, screaming in glee, running away from each other. Once they tried to sneak upon the brunette, but her pointed finger and rather terrifying look dissuaded them from even thinking about attacking her with the colorful threads.

But the brunette did not mind the laughter Henry and Emma shared, almost brought to tears with their antics, silently giggling at the indignant shouts and feats of revenge, messing up the place even more than the twenty people that had been at the party had. But, as it was getting very much late, she reigned in their rambunctiousness and directed them to actually clean up the place, before tucking in the still chuckling teenager to bed. She had heard the door open and close, knowing that it was probably Emma taking out the trash, as she stayed with Henry, enjoying his excitement over the success of his gathering. Promising him that he would be able to come back to New York once or twice a year at least, she left him to sleep, turning off the lights behind her, and with one last look she closed the door of his room.

Regina walked out into the living room and found Emma sitting at the dining table, with her head leaning on her forearms and groaning softly, most likely in pain. The brunette took the pill bottle and a glass of water and lowered it right beside Emma's hands, the sound of heavy glass on the wood alerting the blonde to an object close to her limbs.

"Thanks," Emma whispered as she lifted her head of her forearms, grasping the glass and snagging the proper dosage of pills for her pain. There had been a moment at the party when Emma, in order to move out of the way of playful teenagers, had had to press herself against the wall, and with no surprise only Regina had seen the following wince, quickly ushering her into the bedroom, wanting to check the stitches. Although the wound had seemed fine, the injured flesh had been tingling and aching for the most of the evening, driving Emma to insanity, and only with great focus on her distractions she had managed to hide it from her guests. Now, without anything else to focus on, the pain returned, stronger than before, her muscles screaming in need of relief, and so she rose slowly, unable to contain a soft whine leaving her throat, and directed herself to the bedroom, hearing Regina's elegant footfalls behind her.

Already feeling the effect of the strong painkillers, Emma quickly divested herself of clothes, changing into her sleeping wear, before gingerly lowering herself onto the bed, knowing that Regina would change in the bathroom. She hoped she would be asleep before the brunette returned into the room, not willing to start a conversation while under the influence, as it acted as a truth serum of sorts on her, and familiar with Regina's modus operandi, the Mayor would seize the opportunity to learn things Emma would've never divulged otherwise.

But, it was not to be as she felt gentle hands lifting her tank top, uncovering the bandage over her cut. Not able to contain her murmur at the itching sensation of sticky surfaces, Emma gave herself away, and immediately after she heard Regina's soft voice.

"Does it still tingle?" The brunette prodded the wound gently with her clean fingers, frowning at the slightly inflamed skin around the black lines of the sutures. Hearing Emma's negative reply in form of a grunt, she doused the wound in the antibacterial cream, making sure to cover everything with the off white gel. Placing fresh gauze over it, she fixed it with several stripes of medicinal tape, before she lowered the tank back in place. "Victor needs to see this as soon as we get back," Regina commented softly before she gracefully walked to the other side of the bed and lied in it, not commenting at all on Emma's position atop the quilt.

"If you think so," the blonde murmured, her eyes already closed, as she stretched her back gently, placing her hands beneath her pillow.

"What did Mrs. Hulbert tell you that made you flinch?" Regina suddenly asked, remembering the scene in her mind vividly. She had felt the eyes on her, but Emma's gaze was familiar to her after the years spent under it. But this particular feeling had suggested someone different, and turning around, she had seen the ginger and Emma conversing, the blonde trying to make a point, while the other woman chuckled with mischievous look in her eyes. Regina hadn't missed the Savior's expression or the sudden choke on the drink she had had in her hand.

"Mhm, she thinks we're together…" Emma replied absently, her eyes still closed, missing Regina's reaction. "It's what all of them think, anyways. Not that it matters, really…" The blonde nuzzled into the pillow before continuing, completely oblivious to the Mayor's surprised look. "It is a story good as any… " Then, before dropping off to a sleep Emma managed to murmur one more thing, leaving Regina startlingly awake after it. "I wish it were true…"


	11. Chapter 11

Knowing that rousing Emma after having taken her pain medication would be next to impossible, Regina turned on her back, completely surprised by the soft admission, unable to stifle the gasp that followed right after hearing the words. She was aware that Emma quite possibly hadn't meant to say what she had uttered, influenced by the meds, but the fact remained that she had said the words and the very same words had made Regina's mind implode at the implication.

Yes, there were subtle and not so subtle signs of Emma's affection toward the brunette, but more often than not it had been covered with anger, irritation and many other conflicting emotions and reactions, hiding the truth of the blonde's true feelings toward the adoptive mother of her son. But, it hadn't been the affection that had drawn Regina to the Savior, despite all the pitted fights and fateful curse breaking. No, it had been the unwavering, well somewhat unwavering, trust that the blonde had in the former Evil Queen, trust that Regina would do best by Henry, after the curse had broken. Yes, mistakes had been made, on both sides, but Emma had forged her way through them and stood by her side, firstly saving her from the mob, then from the Wraith, afterwards being the only one to trust her that she hadn't killed the town shrink… Again and again, Emma would prove herself to be on Regina's side, but regrettably, always after faltering in her belief, and causing pain.

Just like in this instant. Emma had made a grave mistake and changed the present and the future, at Regina's expense, but then she had saved her life, and let her forge deeper relationship with Henry, by letting them spend their time together in places he wanted to show to his brunette mother.

However, Regina could not help but think of all the instances she had been betrayed, her mother's death and Marian's appearance most vivid in her mind. The impact those events had on her were equal only to losing Daniel, both times. But, as she thought about those events, she realized the similarities in them, most in her own reactions. She had spoken the same words to Snow and Emma, but the pain of Emma's betrayal was far worse than the murder of her mother. Frowning at the realization, Regina pushed herself up on the bed, leaning against the head board.

With all that had happened before that fateful moment of her mother's death, Regina could understand Snow's hopelessness and need to end the war, no matter the cost. She had been there when Snow had realized that Cora had killed her mother, Queen Eva, the knowledge startling even her, although she had been used to the machinations of the Queen of Hearts. And, as she had told Mary Margaret after the whole séance deal, things were quite complicated. Regardless of the pain that the loss of the parent had inflicted on her, and by the hands of the woman that had been the perceived cause of so much suffering in her life, Snow's move hadn't hurt as Emma's best intentions had.

She had learned to expect betrayal from the Charmings, but Emma had always been the one to reach for her, to understand her, to fight for her. So when she had realized that the blonde Savior had been the cause of her newest suffering, the pain that engulfed her was equal to the one she had felt at Daniel's passing. Yes, the loss of her fresh start and new love was part of it, but what had surprised her, and still did up to that day, was that the pain and anger stemmed from the betrayal of the woman she had learned to cherish as a closest thing to a friend and a co parent. Even when they had been fighting over Henry, Regina could see the understanding glint in the green eyes, the knowledge that had been born from similar life experiences. Emma had been the only one to see her as the woman, and not the moniker. Emma was the only one to regard her as Regina, often ignoring the social cues and propriety, going out of her way to address her as equal, calling her by name and not her title, either of them. And, that had been something that Regina had grown to treasure in their further communication. That, and the pointed and mocking calling out of her titles, when Emma had been in particularly spiteful moods. And, the silent trust and belief that the woman was trying her best.

So, when Regina had realized that Emma had been the one to bring her to her metaphoric knees, everything lost its meaning, and the former Evil Queen could not trust anything anymore except her old behaviors. Luckily, Henry had been there to make her stop, by his mere presence, however, the anger and rage could not go away that easily. That in itself was a telling sign, because only people she cared about could hurt her, and belatedly, Regina realized that she did care about Emma, not only as the other parent to her son, but as her friend and her savior.

The night Emma had passed out in her arms, Regina had felt the terror of another loss, exacerbated by Emma's blatant disregard of her own safety, protecting her from the hoodlums. The fear for the blonde's life had been so overpowering in that moment that nothing else had existed, not Robin, not Snow, not even Henry, such the power of her hidden feelings had been. But, as soon she had been convinced that Emma would survive, she had remembered everything else, however, it hadn't carried the same weight as before. It still had mattered, but it hadn't been as important as having Emma alive in her life.

And, later, when Emma had suffered her injuries in silence, not once drawing attention to them, or placing blame with Regina, the brunette had seen the respect and sacrifice the Savior had devoted to her. It had been one of many reasons why Regina had continued to sleep in the same room with the blonde – the affectionate deference, regardless of the situation.

Lying back, Regina drifted into uneasy sleep, hoping to at least catch several hours of rest, as the long drive was in front of them.

In the morning, the brunette rose first, leaving Emma asleep in the room. Quickly preparing for the new day, she woke Henry; prepared breakfast for them and with his help brought most of the things down to her car, not willing to let Emma carry much of it, as she wanted to spare the blonde as much as she could, at least for the day. It was her last chance for an appreciating gesture, as in the evening they would be back in Storybrooke and go back to their preordained roles.

Enjoying her last moments of freedom of sorts, she stood beside the ledge on the roof, watching the teeming city start their Sunday, as she felt her son leaning into her side. Kissing his forehead, she sighed softly, the noise of the streets creating a soothing soundtrack for their pleasant silence.

"Mom?" Henry started softly, not moving from his place at Regina's side. "What will happen when we return?" At her confused look, he sighed and started again. "Will you go back to hating each other?"

Regina exhaled and having kissed his forehead, she leaned her head onto his, considering her answer. "I don't think so," she murmured at last. "But, Storybrooke is a hard place, and people tend to be judgmental and sticking their noses into private business." She moved away from the edge, grabbing a seat at the table, motioning Henry to sit in her lap, wanting his closeness. As soon as he lowered himself on her knees, she wrapped her hands around his middle, smiling at him for it reminded her of many moments they had shared when Henry had been much younger. "The constant reminder of what happened will probably make our…" Regina paused, searching for a proper word, "truce, harder." Seeing Henry nod in understanding, she continued. "But, Emma wants to take back her former job, and seeing that I will be her immediate superior, we won't be able to hide from one another. And, there is always you. Unfortunately, you will always be in the middle…"

"And, Robin?"

"He has a wife now, and I will not stay in the way of that. Young Roland deserves both of his parents there, as they are both alive, and there is no place for me in that picture."

"Do you love him?" Henry asked after a while, having let Regina have a moment to settle down.

"I don't know, Henry." Regina did not even try to deflect or stop him from getting his answers, thinking that the intuitive boy as he was, he would get the truth either way. "If you asked me this a month ago, I think I would've said yes, but now… I don't know." She looked into the clever green eyes. "I still like him very much."

"Emma broke up with Hook," Henry spoke suddenly, as he focused onto his mother's face, wanting to see her reaction. Keeping his smirk from showing, he played with the lapel of her shirt. "I mean, she never said anything, but that day I decided to stay over at home, I saw him at Granny's." As Regina did not offer anything for his story, he continued, still watching her carefully. "He said that Emma had a lot to think about and that she had realized that her heart had not been hers to give away."

"What? Why would he tell you that?"

"Well, he didn't tell me, he told Ruby," Henry sheepishly admitted, not missing the flicker of something in her gentle brown eyes.

"Henry, what did I tell you about eavesdropping?" Regina said with tender reproach, flicking his nose.

"But, mom, I was waiting for my chocolate. He just kept on about not being able to compete with Emma's connection with this other person and how they clicked together." Henry had understood who Killian had talked about especially after a pointed comment of sharing a kid, but he purposefully pretended not to understand, wanting to see his mother's reaction. At first, the idea of Emma being connected to his mother had seemed strange, but with time, he could see the benefits of it, and his blonde mother fitted the description of the prince charming for Regina, saving her left and right, forming a partnership, and, most of all, being the only one who could anticipate Regina's reactions, beside him, of course.

After hearing the mumbled words from the Savior the night before, Regina did not question the information her son provided, but it still seemed so far-fetched to her that the paragon of good would fall in love with her. Not willing to continue the conversation, she gently pushed Henry of her lap and rushed into the apartment, waking Emma up, and after morning dressing changes to Emma's back and the blonde's preparations, they were off on their journey to Storybrooke, Main.

Delegating the blonde to the back seat in order to allow the Savior to find the most comfortable position for her ailing back, Regina allowed Henry to sit in the front, impressing the importance of the seatbelt unto him. And, after a quick chat with the building manager, they were off, passing the busy streets of New York for the last time on that vacation.

The trip upstate was uneventful in itself, despite frequent stops to let Emma stretch her stiff muscles, and Regina to take a small break in the driving. With light conversation or easy silence, the time passed quickly, as they travelled along the uncluttered roads leading to their home. On their last stop before the small turn off toward their quaint town, Emma called her parents, telling them that the small traveling party was close to home and that they would need an hour to reach the town.

"Maybe I should drive across the town line?" Emma asked from her seat behind Henry, her eyes connecting with the brown one in the review mirror.

"You are not allowed to drive until your sutures are out," came the firm reply from the driver. But, Regina recognized the concern for what it was and offered a solution. "I will slow down as much as possible before it, and stop right after we cross it."

Emma nodded, feeling the gaze focused on her, accepting the compromise as she placed her hands onto Henry's shoulders, directing the conversation in the other direction. She remembered how the loss of the magic had impacted the woman, and she knew from experience that renewed flow of the power would be much more demanding on Regina's body.

So when the time came, Regina allowed the Mercedes to slow down to the crawl, seemingly not moving at all, as it crossed the orange sprayed line inch at the time. Emma could pinpoint the exact moment Regina's body passed over the border by the painful gasp that escaped the brunette's lips, as she stopped the car completely. Seeing Regina's pale but greenish face in the mirror, Emma jumped out of the car, paying no attention to the discomforting twinge of her back and the following trickle of liquid, and pulled open the door in the front, guiding the brunette's legs gently out of the vehicle, rubbing her shoulders as she saw the agonizing re-familiarization with the magic in the woman's taut body and grimacing face.

"Henry, find me water," Emma called back to their son, letting Regina catch her breath and settle down, as she knelt beside her, her caring hands gliding over brunette's shoulders and back in comfort, often pushing the dark locks of the clammy face with her gentle touch. Taking hold of the clenched fists in Regina's lap, Emma tenderly pried them open, not even surprised to find tendrils of smoke on the soft palms. "Hey, you're all right," she whispered softly to the Mayor, feeling the woman shake under her touch, as the smoke disappeared from her palms, the instinctual response of creating fireballs curbed. "Here," Emma twisted the cap of the bottle, having taken it from Henry's offering hands, and gave it to Regina, helping her hold the cold drink. "Slow sips," the blonde warned as she held the bottle, her other hand on Regina's back, patting it gently as the woman drank. "OK?" Emma inquired when Regina gently pushed the water away, receiving only a nod in response. Putting the cap back on the bottle Emma gave it back to Henry hovering close, before she took both of Regina's hands and pulled the woman upright, making her walk away from the car. "Feeling better?"

"Yes, Miss Swan, thank you," Regina replied somewhat acerbically, but the roll of her eyes gave her appreciation away. She squeezed one of hands holding her palm and made a step away from the blonde, summoning her magic into her palm, creating her trademark orb of flame, relishing in the ability to do so, having missed it in the week she had been in the 'real world'. She chuckled at Henry's excited whoop and extinguished the fire, smirking at her son as she moved toward the car, ready to continue on. But, as she gestured to Henry to get inside, she pulled Emma slightly away. "Thank you," she whispered quietly, needing to show the blonde that she did appreciate her help.

"You said that already," Emma murmured back, the gentle teasing in her voice, but it did nothing to cover the concern that the blonde had shown and still felt for the Mayor in front of her.

"Indeed," Regina agreed with a smirk, before she touched the back of Emma's hand gently, her fingers gliding over the warm skin. "But, I mean it this time." With that, she poured herself into her seat and started the car, waiting for Emma to snap out of her confusion and get in. Throwing a reassuring smile at Henry, she drove off, passing the sign.

Suddenly, the gentle afternoon Sun was covered with clouds and the temperature dropped instantly, fogging up the windows in the still warm car. "What the…?" Before Regina could even react, a giant ice patch was created in the middle of the road, making the Mercedes spin uncontrollably in its way and swerve dangerously close to the shoulder of the road, the force of its rotation tossing the people inside, making Henry shout in fear, while other women grunted in pain. Emma had instantly jumped to their son, ignoring the bumps and painful slams she had achieved in the twist and pinned him down onto his seat looking on as Regina tried to get back the control of the heavy vehicle with more traditional means, before she resorted to magic, stabilizing the black car with one powerful lurch to the side that made the blonde collide with the side door quite strongly, her head and shoulders breaking the window on the impact, nearly passing out from the hurt. "Henry? Are you OK?" Regina asked immediately after the car stopped, looking over her son and his blonde mother in worry and fear. But as she saw him uninjured but shaken up, still held down with the strong arms of his other mother, cradled in his seat, she got out of the car on shaky legs, instantly but followed by the blonde, who managed to scramble out of the vehicle somewhat dazed by the hit.

Emma reached up to her scalp and winced as she felt the warm fluid seeping down her neck, soaking even more her already ruined shirt, stuck to her now definitely open wound that pulsed agonizingly with each beat of her heart, ignoring the presence of glass slivers that remained on her collar and the rest of her clothes, but she found the road much more important. The ice had been created out of nowhere and now it was disappearing just as quickly as it was created, leaving behind only watery trails. And as the ice melted away, the clouds covering the Sun moved away, letting the warm late spring afternoon appear once more, heating the air and chasing away the cold. The surprised silence was interrupted by Emma's phone.

Her eyes connected with the intrigued dark ones as she answered the call, already expecting one of her parents to be on the other side. "Hello?"

"Emma? Are you alright?" Mary Margaret's frantic tone assaulted her instantly, but after reassuring the woman that all three of them were quite fine, the woman continued on. "The whole town was frozen over for a few seconds."

"Yeah, we passed an ice patch on our way back," the blonde added, watching the other woman come closer to her, the worried frown on her forehead, as the hands shifting her head at the angle. "Henry is a bit shaken up, but we are all fine," she added, surrendering herself to Regina's ministrations.

"Not quite," Regina murmured as she inspected the torn stitches on the back of Emma's head, her soft hands already healing the reinjured wound, while she frowned at the amount of blood and glass on the blonde's clothes. "Do they know the cause?"

"Why did it happen?" Emma relayed, her eyes focused onto the woman beside her, the tingling of the magic messing with her already shot concentration due to pain and shock of the near miss accident, and the tender touch on her weak spot was not helping at all. Regina realized that the blonde was shivering not due to the magic pouring out of her hands but the presence of the hands themselves and she moved away, but not before she passed her fingers over the base of Emma's scull, teasing her once more just for the fun of it.

As Emma listened to Snow's explanation and her take on Rumplestiltskin's theory, she narrowed her eyes at the sorceress beside her, frowning at the smirk thrown her way. But then something captured her attention in her mother's explanation. "…As he said, because it was locked up safely in his vault."

"What? Back up a bit. What was locked in his vault?" Emma asked, completely focused now on her phone. Regina also tuned in, motioning for the blonde to put them on the speaker, as she had known that Emma and Killian had opened the portal back out of the secret vault Rumplestiltskin had used to keep the most dangerous and precious objects inside – as Emma herself had told her that, hours before the other revelation.

"Rumplestiltskin said that the power over ice belonged to one sorceress but that she had been locked away in a magical urn, safely hidden inside his vault, and nothing in it had made it over here. And the only way for her to be free is to expose the urn to a large quantity of magic and then open it."

"Large quantity of magic?" Emma asked, paling at the implication, as she looked up into the piercing dark eyes, afraid by the sudden change in the Queen's demeanor.

"Such as the portal into the future?" Regina added pointedly, her voice sharp and devoid of emotions. In that very moment Emma remembered the other part of Regina's angry words of that particular evening.  _Well, you just better hope to hell you didn't bring anything else back_. "What the hell did you bring here!?"


	12. Chapter 12

Despite the eminent danger, Regina drove to her mansion, deciding to get Henry settled down first, before dealing with the new 'baddie' in town. Not speaking a word to her co-parent, she seethed in silence, cursing Emma's clumsiness, both metaphorical and physical, in quietude of her mind. But, in a way, she was more than glad to have something else to focus on, something to fight against, as it had been a way of dealing with pain in the past. As she had told to Robin – she had something to destroy…

Parking in the driveway of her house, right in front the garage, Regina ushered the boy into the white building before she turned to the Savior beside her. "Call them here, the entire war council or whatever," she spoke quietly but firmly before waving her hands over the trunk of the car and stalking off down the pathway to her side door, leaving Emma behind her, ignoring the acknowledging grunt that left the Savior's mouth. She needed a minute away from the blonde, the rollercoaster of emotions involving the woman giving her the whiplash, and if she was going to be able to deal with the new threat on her town, she would need to calm down. Discarding her jacket, Regina went directly into Henry's room, finding the boy looking out through his window.

"I need to stay inside, don't I?" he asked, when he heard the door opening, knowing it would be his mother at the entrance to his room. Turning away from the window, he watched Regina walk toward him and sit on his bed. "Can I at least help?" he asked, disregarding the entire incident on their way home.

"Charmings and the others are coming here," Regina replied after a moment, not knowing how to answer his question. "I don't know what this is yet, and I don't feel comfortable with you in the thick of it." However, when he sat beside her and took her hand into both of his she smiled gently at him, kissing his forehead. "But, I know that you have a way of getting in the trouble even without trying so I will try to let you in on this." Then she took his chin into her palm, imposing the seriousness of the situation. "I need you to be safe, Henry. And, I need you to listen. So, when we are out there I need you to stay put."

"Mom," Henry started gently, but the tightening but still gentle squeeze on his face stopped him.

"I can't lose you, honey."

"You're not," the teenager spoke firmly, placing his palms over the hand on his chin, taking it off but still keeping it in between his. Then they both looked up when the clear sound of a door bell was heard throughout the house, announcing their guests. With another affirming look toward her son's face, Regina sighed and rose from the bed and left the room, followed closely by the teenage boy.

Opening the door, she was surprised to see the sheer amount of people gathered on her porch, uncomfortably reminded of the day the curse had broken. The unsettling and expectant silence was broken with a tiny wail of a newborn in Snow's arms, and as if she was reminded why they were all there, Regina stepped aside, silently inviting them all in, murmuring softly to Snow to stay behind, as she directed the others to the study, slightly worried that not all of them would be able to sit in there.

"I didn't expect this many people," she remarked softly as she looked at the baby, unwilling traces of a smile quirking her lips in the corners, her fingers going over the child's belly gently.

"Well, the original council is here, and Dr. Whale… I thought it wouldn't hurt if he was there, seeing that these things have a way of getting out of control. Mr. Gold and Belle were on their way, actually, and Mulan offered to help." Mary Margaret then looked at the Mayor and tried to read her once stepmother, but the walls were up, making the woman seem hard and detached. "If the presence of John and other one is a problem, I could…"

"No," came the terse reply. "It's fine." Regina turned away but a soft hand landed on her elbow, the gentleness of the gesture stopping her in tracks. She threw a disdainful look toward the pixie haired woman. "Do not try to ply me with your pity and understanding, Snow," Regina whispered harshly before she continued on. "I am not in the mood for it today."

"I know you, Regina, well enough to know that you wouldn't stand for it. Not from me, at least." The voice of the gentle monarch reached the Mayor's ears and she turned to look at her former nemesis from the height afforded to her by her heels and the layout of her house, her eyebrow going up at the underlying firmness in the tone, accompanied with expected compassion. Snow walked toward the woman and climbed the steps in the hall, drawing close to Regina. "I just wanted to ask where my daughter was." The conscious avoidance of Emma's name clued the older brunette to Snow's awareness of Regina's renewed anger toward the blonde, as she narrowed her eyes, already preparing the acerbic remark, but then the question in Mary Margaret's words stopped her. Emma was not there to greet her parents, and she was not beside Henry, because she could see him in the study, sitting right beside David, and directing others to find their place in the somewhat crowded room.

Whipping up her phone she dialed the annoying woman's number, but when she heard the answering ringtone coming from somewhere deeper in the back of the house, she sent Snow toward the study, while she followed the sound toward the small restroom just off the kitchen. The door of it was only leaned against the frame, not properly closed, and from inside Regina could hear hissing and soft whimper, along with the low muttered curse as something clambered against the porcelain of the sink. Instantly concerned, she entered, disregarding the blonde's possible need for privacy, and gasped when she saw what Emma had been trying to hide, frozen at the door, not able to move, her brain trying to make sense of the picture before her. There, in front of her stood the Savior, naked from her waist up, clutching the blood soaked shirt to her front as she met Regina's eyes in the mirror, surprised by the sudden intrusion, yelping in indignation, getting ready to push her out. But, that wasn't what captured Regina's eyes.

The back she had seen plenty of in the past several days was covered in dried and fresh blood, some of it even soaked up by the waist of her jeans. The stitches of the wound were completely torn but there were new cuts all over Emma's shoulders, shallow jagged slices grouped close to the neck and spine. Then, when the brunette stepped closer, having closed the door behind her as soon she had been released from the shock, she heard a crack under her foot as she stood on a bit of glass on the floor. She looked down and saw several shimmering pieces on her marble floor, tinted with dark red of dried blood, the understanding of the situation flooding her mind.

Her magic already summoned, she reached for the injury, but a strong grasp on her glowing hand stopped her. She glanced toward blonde's face, and Regina was surprised to see kind green eyes regarding her carefully, with no suspicion but there was something else there. "No," Emma spoke softly, still holding the hand captive but her grip turned into a gentle hold, as she turned around to face the brunette properly, her other hand still clutching the shirt, protecting what was left of her modesty. "You've done more than enough for me. I will not take this from you as well. I don't want you to do this out of some obligation or whatever." Although her voice was gentle and quiet, Regina recognized the stubborn determination in it. She focused onto the Savior's eyes, challenging her decision silently, the sharp glare enough to sway lesser people, but the blonde only smiled and barely shook her head, the motion visible enough to bring the point across but not to break their connected gaze. "You are the one who said that I do not think of the consequences. Isn't healing me with magic a copout in itself?" Emma added softly, ducking her head just a bit imploring Regina to see her side, inadvertently making their gaze more intimate, before she moved slightly away, a light blush caught on her cheeks.

"If you think that your martyrdom would do anything but make you more of a nuisance that you already are, Miss Swan, you are deluded," the woman snapped back with exasperation, as Regina could not avoid but feel oddly touched with the gesture, however misplaced and delusional it was, but she would be damned before she showed it to the irritating idiot in front of her. "Your stubbornness would only prevent you from helping us with this mess you made," she rebuked sharply.

At that, Emma chuckled bitterly, letting go of Regina's hand and turned away, her eyes growing cold and sharp, focusing on her own face in the mirror. "Help?" The brunette was surprised at the acidic spat of the word. "How can I  _help_ , Regina? My magic is gone, and, honestly, I don't see the way how I can attribute to this 'operation' without…" She looked at the startled brown eyes peering at her off from her shoulder and focusing on Regina's face in the mirror, she sneered, continuing on with her hatred filled speech. " _Messing_  it up even further. Let's face it, Your Majesty, the former Evil Queen is more of a Savior than I am. Hell, at this point, anyone is. If I ever was, that is." Wincing at the sudden lancing pain that followed her shrug, she shook her head. "You were the one to save Henry in Neverland. You were the one to defeat Zelena. You were the one to restore Henry's memories. You were the one to save this town, and the people in it, twice. You let us get back from the Enchanted Forest. You even saved my parents! Do you see the pattern here?" Emma chuckled viciously, still looking in the mirror. "None of it was me, the resident Savior."

"So you are throwing a tantrum?" Regina replied scathingly. "Because of some latent jealousy and self-esteem issue?"

Emma growled and jumped at the brunette, turning suddenly, fast as a blink, her eyes portraying her anger as she grabbed Regina's upper arms firmly, ignoring the resulting nudity, for the tattered and bloody piece of clothing lied on the floor, dropped the moment Emma moved toward the other woman. "Are you fucking kidding me," she spit through her clenched teeth, somewhat surprised that Regina allowed such contact at all, but unable to censure herself, overwhelmed by the ire she felt.

But, then Regina saw something deep in Emma's eyes, something right under her anger and bitterness. The blonde was livid, yes, however it was not directed at her, but rather for her at others, her self-casted role as the protector unbroken. Even now, when she was fuming mad, Emma's clutch on her did not hurt, not for a second. "You really have no idea," Emma added scoffing and as if she suddenly realized her attire, she released the brunette and turned away, her hands falling over her chest, cursing herself silently for letting herself lose control over her emotions like that. Breathing deeply, she forced herself to speak once more. "It's not like you want me in there, anyways. And, I volunteer for babysitting or whichever, so you see, there is no need for you to heal me. I heard Whale is here, so he could replace the stitches or something…"

Regina stood still frozen at Emma's outburst, and the underlying revelation. The dreams, the protectiveness, the anger on her behalf, and the display of magic days before they had left for New York, it all pointed toward one conclusion, the one that she could not deal with right that moment, but she knew that she couldn't leave the blonde in the grip of self-loathing, bleeding all over the small restroom. Needing more room for what she was about to do, she summoned her magic and transported them into her en suit bathroom, calling the first aid kit to her the second they materialized in the spacy room, ignoring Emma's protests. Expecting the blonde to bolt at any moment, she waved her hand over her and smirked at the indignant glare thrown her way when Emma realized that she was immobilized with magic.

"No, no, now is my turn to speak," Regina said sharply when she saw the Savior try to move her mouth. Preparing the warm water in the sink, along with all other things what were necessary for cleaning wounds, leaving them at marble counter beside the sink, she gently directed Emma's body with magic, making her back completely accessible to her healing ministrations. "What you fail to realize is that you are more than just some magic, and now that it is taken, you need to see that you are valued here, not for what you think you are, but for who you are." As she soaked a small towel and wrought it to remove all the excess water, she looked over the wounds, noticing that the blonde had managed to claw out most of the glass slivers, leaving only a shard or two in the middle of her back, not able to reach them. With a sigh, she gently removed them, as she considered her next words. She had known about Emma's deep seeded insecurities, normal for a child abandoned over and over again, overlooked for the next better thing each time she had started to believe she had found her place. And, now, the Savior thought it was happening again. Snow had another child, the town had another Sheriff, the people had another powerful white magic user, Henry had his mother… She had seen some traces of it during the months the two of them had come from New York with Hook, and in the haunted green eyes in the early mornings during their time together. However, the appearance of yet another villain must have had stricken the blonde hard, and the old self-doubts flared up, taking on the force of the wild forest fire, destroying everything before it.

"Henry needs you there," she spoke while wiping the blood away, unconsciously softening her tone as she took in the real extent of the injuries, new and old. "Others need you, as well. And, without your contribution, none of the things I did would've been possible. So, you are important, Savior or not." Stepping away to grab the cleaning solution, Regina added softly, "Without your support, Emma, I wouldn't have been able to be who I am now. Without you saving me every time I needed it, I wouldn't be able to save the others, Emma." Impressing all the importance she wanted to pass on to the blonde, she imbued it into the softly murmured name. She did not pay attention to Emma's face in the mirror, or she would've seen a surprised look followed by slowly closing eyes and several tears escaping their captivity. "It would also do you good not to presume what I want or not want, and just listen," she spoke again after clearing her throat from the emotional heaviness her words caused, injecting some of the light teasing tone she had used in New York with the woman. "Therefore, I am going to heal you, so you can help. And, one thing about consequences is – you clean up your own mess, everyone knows that."

Using a wad of cotton to apply the disinfectant to the scratches and the opened knife wound with care, not willing to add on the pain that the blonde was surely already feeling she focused onto the skin presented to her for the first time. All the times before, she barely looked at it, applying the antibacterial cream as fast as she could, willing to be quickly over with that part of their day, but now she took in all the small uneven lines and marks that undoubtedly told many stories of Emma's life. But, despite all the markings, the blonde's skin was soft and pliant, the scars almost not felt under the fingertips. Using her magic, Regina healed, for the first time using the white magic in such endeavor, as her mind was lost in deliberation of Emma's life and Henry. Surprised that she even managed that, she gasped at the responding warmth coming off the Savior's body, the feeling she associated with the blonde's magic. However, the warmth dissipated quickly, making her frown, believing that she only imagined it, taking the feedback of her own power for Emma's. Flustered with all of it, she waved her hand and summoned a change of clothes for Emma and cleaning the ever present dark red jacket from blood and glass, having releasing the blonde from the magical hold, she left the bathroom without a word, escaping the space filled with the Savior's presence, unwilling to deal with the emotions brewing in her, stirred up by the close contact with the woman.

As soon as she reached the door of the study, after a quick dash down the stairs, she stopped for a second to gather herself, her Mayor mask firmly in place and entered the crowded room, pleased to notice that her personal space was still intact even as she strolled by the Lucas elder, taking a seat Henry had left for her. As she surveyed the people gathered there, she instantly noticed the Lucas women frowning in her direction, probably sensing the remaining scent of blood and antiseptics clinging to her clothes. "Miss Swan will join us in the moment," she spoke by the way of greeting everyone and saw that the door leading to her kitchen was already closed. Then she turned to David, who sat on the other of Snow who in turn was seated right beside Henry, Neal in her arms. "The ice attack aside, is everything alright with my town?"

"Yes," the Sheriff replied, as he nodded to the former Queen, leaning his elbow on the table to see Regina's face properly. "Nothing worth mentioning happened after the… you know. Apart from this." A short nod was her answer before she turned toward Henry, not noticing that the Sheriff was still looking at her, and that he saw the way her face warmed with the gentle smile directed at her son, as he leaned into her shoulder, as well as the miniscule change in her expression when the side door of the study opened, wrenched away a tad more forcefully than strictly necessary, showing his daughter, her sudden entrance making people fall silent.

"Sorry I am late," Emma spoke, uncomfortable with all the eyes directed at her, wringing a newly acquired bottle of water in her hands, and by the God, there were many eyes watching her, some with frown, some with eagerness, but all with hopeful expectance. Using her turn to close the door behind her, throwing a longing glance toward the blissfully empty kitchen, she took notice of the people in the packed study. Apart from her family, including Regina, there were Rumple and Belle, Mulan, Grumpy and Doc, Ruby and Granny, Archie, Mother Superior with Tink, two of the Merry Men and Dr. Whale. She did expect to see Hook, but he wasn't there, and for an oddly practical reason, she was relieved. But, what drew her attention was the way one particular pair of eyes followed her entrance into the room. It wasn't like Regina hadn't looked at her before, often with unflinching glare, but now, she was trying to hide the fact that she was looking at Emma, using Henry as her shield. Unsettled by the uncharacteristic shyness from the Mayor, she hesitated for a moment, still not sure if she was supposed to be there.

Ruby rose from the chair beside the door Emma had shown up at to greet her friend, using the hug to get close to the woman, having noticed her faltering step and reluctance that increased the minute the blonde's eyes landed on the former Queen. "Are you alright? She didn't hurt you, did she?" came the worried whisper into Emma's ear along with the bone breaking embrace, the implication that Ruby thought Regina had done something to Emma quite clear.

"She healed me. Tell you later." With the dismissal, the Savior straightened up, flexing her shoulders and moved away coming to a stop behind Henry's chair, placing a hand on his head in greeting, another on her mother's shoulder as she leaned against the book shelf, seeing that there were no free chairs, and Mulan and the Merry Men were already standing on the other side of the room.

"Now that we are all here, finally, perhaps we could go on with this meeting?" Rumplestiltskin spoke from the black leather couch beside the round table, his eyes connecting with Emma's in a light sneer. "Some of us have lives to go to." The pointed show of Belle's hand in his resting on his knee did not escape the blonde, or the former Queen scowling at him.

"Seeing that you are the one that had this thing in your vault, perhaps you should be the one to start," Regina replied testily. "Let's hear it, Rumple. The floor is yours." Adding a flourishing gest with her hand, a mocking replica of his own, she stared at the imp, still uncomfortable with this many people in her home, and of course with him there across of her. The man who had played such pivotal part in her life and as it seemed her sister's and mother's life, as well. But, as he launched into the story, she did not focus on his low timbre, even though she did listen for the information. Her mind was more focused on the blonde standing off her left shoulder, only an arm away. Like a sentinel, standing guard over what she held dear, and Regina just knew that she was included for whatever reason.

 _No, not whatever reason_ , a voice deep inside her mind complained, and it sounded strangely similar to her departed sister's diatribe on the day she had sent Rumplestiltskin to take her heart from Robin.  _You know what it is, exactly_ , the voice continued in that brusque accent.

 _You really don't appreciate what you have, do you?_  The snide remark from that day came unbidden to her mind. But before she could even consider the truth in that statement, the boy on her side moved excitedly, leaning onto his elbows.

"You mean like the Snow Queen of Fairy Tales by Andersen?" the boy asked, after he had noticed some similarities in Rumplestiltskin's story.


	13. Chapter 13

The silence that followed Henry's outburst was filled with edgy energy, brewing and boiling in the closed up room. Emma had a feeling that most of the people just wanted to jump in and ask their questions or express their disbelief in Mr. Gold's story, but they were stopped from doing just that by the presence of their own Queens, one prepared to demand order, while the other could flay them alive with only a flick of her wrist. However, when Henry huffed impatiently, Rumple shook his head lightly.

"Well, no, young Henry, Elsa was not evil as represented in the story, but rather a kind and loving monarch in the beginning." At that he looked toward the brunette sorceress, his eyes narrowing in a mocking smirk while his face remained impassive. The only people who noticed the reference was the former Evil Queen and the Savior.

"How many lives have you destroyed, Gold?" Emma spoke through her clenched teeth, pushing away from her position as she stood right behind Henry and Regina bristling, her arms crossed at the chest as she stared down the seated imp with her heated glare, as she had seen through his roundabout way of telling things. Only then did the others understand the vaguely presented truth in his answer to the younger Mills, Snow letting a rather spectacular gasp of surprise that made Regina roll her eyes.

"Oh, now, Miss Swan, would you really think of it as destroying?" Rumple answered back, his face twisted in his secretive smirk, as he patted Belle's hand to let him deal with it before she could join in with her staunch and very vocal defense of the imp. He knew the woman had had a very hard and trying several weeks, even months, but he could not curb his taunting ways that easily. "Perhaps, I enhanced their lives, made them more… precious." The narrowed gaze he directed at the Savior, before his eyed glanced toward his masterpiece then back to Emma made his point, stopping the blonde in her step just as she was to stalk to him and punch him. Then, suddenly the woman smiled, the pleased mean smirk coming off unnaturally on her face as she leaned back.

"So, why don't we let Elsa, was it, show her appreciation for the enhancement to you? I wouldn't want to get in the way of that." She then patted Regina's shoulder, praying silently that the woman would be able to pick up the cues and play on, at the same time her other hand going on Henry's forearm in warning to stay quiet. "I hear Orlando is nice this time of the year. What do you say, a family vacation? My folks can come as well?"

"Really, Miss Swan?" Regina scowled, understanding the wordless plea in the soft touch, after she got over the startle the contact had caused in her. Then she glanced at Snow who waited on her to deliver a scathing remark related to Emma wanting to run away again, David only watching their interaction, as much of the guests in the room did. But the only one who seemed not interested in the conversation was Henry, who was smiling under the cover of his hands, having recognized their interplay. "Of all places, you want to go to Disneyland?! And you expect me to join you!"

"Fine, then, where do you want to go?" Emma almost sighed in relief, before she continued with the game, watching Rumplestiltskin's face carefully with the corner of her eye. "Henry, any requests?" she asked, squeezing his arm gently.

"We could always go to Comic Con," he added helpfully, his smirk mirror image of his blonde mother.

"Emma!" Snow interrupted, her dismay not easily missed, but before she could continue Blue found her voice.

"You surely jest, Savior? You would not leave your people in the hour of need?" Her question was followed by the murmur of agreement from the dwarves, the two of the Merry Men and Whale.

"It's not like I can help them. But, I guess I understand why you are worried. I mean, if I take away the Queen from the town, who is going to selflessly protect you and save you?" Emma replied seriously, her eyes circling around the room taking in the stunned gasps that followed her statement with pleasure, before she stepped away from the table, suddenly feeling very tired, not only due to her blood loss, but from all the Storybrooke business, as well. She needed to get out of that room before she did anything she would really regret, and with her emotions in the constant swirl and upheaval, the danger of it was more than high – it was damn guarantied. Her eruption at Rumple had been something she hadn't planned on doing, as she had made her peace with the man especially in light of the circumstances of Neal's death , but the brash attitude and impulsive nature Regina had always reprimanded her for seemed to get the better of her, particularly now. So, she went toward the door leading into the hallway of the house, her path clear.

"But, you are the Savior," the Mother Superior spoke in raised volume, her calm broken in the face of the blatant disrespect, her palms slapping down the polished surface of the table, as the small woman rose from her chair turning toward the departing woman who had already wrenched open the door.

"Only because He needed someone to break his Dark Curse!" Emma roared back, still holding the knob of the door in her hand, her other hand waving in Rumplestiltskin's direction, the conversation she had had with Regina only half an hour before still in the forefront of her mind. "But, tell me Blue, what Savior-like things did I do past breaking the curse?" Both women ignored the soft cry of a babe in the room, roused by the tension and yelling around him, and the gentle shushing of his mother trying to ease him.

But before the small woman could even conceive of the answer, Regina rose, deciding to interfere at the rapidly evolving spat and caught Emma's heated look, noticing that the moment their eyes connected the blonde relaxed for a fraction, perceptible only by the brunette who once had learned every infinitesimal expression on the former Sheriff's face in order to squash her more easily. But now that knowledge served in another way by giving her invaluable insight in the Savior's actions, using it to ease the woman from the apparent emotional edge. "Enough," the Queen commanded, cutting off any further argument, startling the others into compliance, as she looked toward the children beside her. Luckily, Neal was settling down into sleep in Snow's arms, seemingly over the rising level of noise in the room, while Henry watched Emma with his worried eyes, his eyes darting toward her every now and then. For a moment she debated whether she should send the boy away, but the light touch of his hand on her wrist was a reminder enough not to. "It is all in the past, and we are wasting precious time dwelling on it," her words were heard clearly even though she wasn't speaking louder than the close quarters quiet tone, the sentiment directed more to Emma than the others. "Miss Swan, would you refrain from destroying my property again?" she asked softly with a raised eyebrow, but Emma instantly understood the underlying message – to calm down and stay in the room. Suddenly, in a swirl of purple mist a chair appeared right beside Regina's right side, startling Granny somewhat. As the conjuring mist was an obvious request in itself, Regina turned her eyes toward her former tutor. "You were saying?" she prompted the man not even looking as the seething blonde dropped herself down on the poor piece of the furniture making the wood creak. The brunette only offered a fleeting touch of comfort on Emma's knee, her hand hidden by the table from all but Henry and, unbeknownst to them, Ruby.

The imp continued his story, internally frowning at something that had happened only minutes before. As Emma had been getting angrier, he had felt a trickle of power coming off of her, and it had surprised him greatly, as the blonde herself had thought that she had no magic. However, he had heard Emma tell the story of her return into the present to her parents, and if she had been to activate the portal, then the curse Zelena had placed on her must have been gone with the witch's death – but it did not explain the Savior's inability to access it now, unless…

The thing with curses was that, unless it was specifically designed so, the death of caster has nothing to do with the outcome of it. And if Zelena had cursed Emma's magic off, then the blonde had been right, and she was without it, until the curse was broken. But then the fact of their escape and glimpses of power he had just received remained, baffling him. However, there was one possibility, and taking Zelena's impatience and habit of glossing over the ostensibly unimportant parts of magical theory, it was quite a likelihood of it happening. Emma was born of True Love, as a vessel for the magic, so in theory, if in presence of powerful magical objects and people, she would instinctively be able to siphon the power out of the air and use it in rudimentary fashion. Therefore, when Zelena had cursed her, the envious woman probably focused on the white magic of the Savior present in Emma, not taking in the account, or not fully understanding, what a child of True Love was capable of. Not that he even did, and he had spent years searching knowledge on it.

It would also explain why the room hadn't exploded with the blonde's unstable emotions. But, using magic in the Dark Vault where he had been storing the most dangerous and powerful artifacts was understandable, as the residual bleed of magic alone would be able to wreak havoc with the world. However, here Emma was in no possession of such powerful relics, neither close to him to use his power, which he doubted would be enough even for the blimp of magic he had felt. With a calculating look he watched the women sit side by side, the blonde unconsciously leaning toward the Mayor, as he went on with his history with the Ice Queen. No one seemed aware of it except the Wolf watching them curiously and the precocious boy, who seemed very pleased with the development he had witnessed. Since when did the Savior feel safe with the former villain, enough to settle down quietly? What had happened in New York that helped them re-establish their connection? And was it the very connection that was the answer to his questions? Could it be?

However, his line of thinking was interrupted by the rapidly fired question from his grandson, making him stop and elaborate a point in history. Soon, Henry was joined with his other grandparents and other important people of the town, the Mayor and the Savior staying inconspicuously quiet. Oh, he knew Regina listened to every word spoken in the room, there was no doubt about that, and Emma… Well, she seemed preoccupied, but he had no misconceptions about her attention. He would wager some of his prized items that the blonde was listening just as carefully, but focusing more on others, trying to look from all the points. After all, the Savior was expert on the gray areas of the stories.

Nevertheless, when the baby started fussing again, the silent Mayor put a stop to the meeting, seeing everyone out but the Charmings and Emma, leaving the new mother to feed the child in the kitchen. On his way out, the old man stopped on the door, telling Belle to go on as he needed a moment with his former student. "Whatever it is, Rumple, I am not interested," Regina replied instantly, holding the white door wide open.

"I could swear she's got her magic back, and yet her curse is not broken…" Rumplestiltskin murmured softly, planting a seed in the already welcoming ground of Regina's mind. "Her True Love must be very near…" With a smirking incline of his head he went down the pathway, joining Belle on the street, leaving the former Queen stunned at the still open door, watching after him. But after a moment, she gathered herself and slammed the door, scowling at herself for letting the damn imp rattle her enough to stand there gaping in surprise. Then she sighed, looking over to the mirror in the hallway, checking if everything was in its place. Satisfied with her regained composure she walked into the kitchen, breaking the intense stare down between Emma and David, the air fraught with tension. The brunette was absolutely convincing that there would have been shouting if not for the baby in Snow's arms, guzzling on the bottled milk.

"What is going on here?" Regina asked, accepting a cup of tea that Snow pushed gently over the counter toward her. With just a nod and a glance she thanked her former stepdaughter, too exhausted emotionally to even muster up the irritation for others making themselves at home in her own kitchen, before she looked toward the current Sheriff, knowing that David would be more open to share, while Emma kept staring at her father.

"Grandpa wants Emma to take his job," Henry supplied when the silence went a bit too long for his taste. He had come to his mother the moment she leaned on the counter to drink the tea, smiling at her instinctive and automatic half hug and nuzzle on his forehead. But the minute he spoke, Regina looked at him and sighed.

"Henry," she started softly, her face gentling immeasurably as she touched his cheek with fingertips, "I think it is past your bedtime." She did not need to tell him to leave as he only nodded in understanding, knowing that some things were not for his ears and his mother had been extremely generous letting him sit in the meeting. So, he hugged her tightly and saying goodnight to his grandparents and uncle, he walked to Emma, throwing his arms around her pulling a grunt out of her. However, the instant he heard the gruff sound leaving his blonde mother's lips he jumped away with apology in his face.

"I'm sorry, did I hurt you?" he asked tremulously, his timid voice drawing the attention of the Charmings. Emma just smiled at him and shook her head, pulling him back into a tight hug, enjoying the feeling of her son in her arms without the following twinges of pain on her back.

"Your mom healed me," she whispered into his ear before she kissed his temple and sent him off upstairs.

"What is he talking about?" Snow asked the second her grandson left the kitchen. "Emma, what happened?"

"You didn't tell them?" Regina said, not really shocked with Emma's reluctance to share her injuries with her parents. "Of course you didn't." Then, she continued with exasperation obvious in her tone, unwilling to wait for the blonde to flounder through the explanation to her parents, in her kitchen of all places. "She saved my life in New York, and got hurt in the process. Nothing life threatening, a concussion, some bruises, and a knife cut across her back." Plowing through Snow's sympathetic gasps and softly whispered  _Oh, Emma_ , Regina went on. "While you settled down, I healed her."

"What happened?" David asked, but Snow's "Why didn't you tell us?" was louder, interrupted with a shrill wail of the newborn in her arms. And, it was like a switch had been hit, the pixie haired woman's attention was directed elsewhere, even though she still kept throwing her asking glances toward her daughter.

"There was nothing for you to do, and you would only worry needlessly." Emma's shrug told much more than her words, as she placed her hands in the pockets of her jeans, her discomfort apparent, as she looked at Snow calming down her baby brother. "It was dealt with…" the blonde started but at the warning glance thrown her way from the mistress of the house she fell silent.

"Emma, we are your parents, it's our job to worry about you," David said softly, recognizing Emma's behavior, as he touched Mary Margaret's shoulder to keep her from adding on the blonde's awkwardness. However, the brunette knew her daughter well and that she was only seconds away from bolting, and she did not need David's cautious warning to know that she needed to curb her desire to coddle Emma.

"Now, if we are over with this family drama, I would like to know what happened before I walked in," Regina asked, breaking the tense silence that had fallen over them. It was almost painful to watch Emma fight with herself, a big part of her wishing she could just walk away from all of it, while the other stubbornly persevered the family moment. Overlooking the grateful glance of the green eyes thrown her way, Regina looked again at David. "Do I have a Sheriff?" When his eyes darted toward Emma, the Mayor pinned the blonde down with her inquiring gaze, waiting for her decision. Although she was aware that the Savior felt some mild resentment toward her father for taking her place, and that the she loved being a Sheriff of their little weird town, regardless of the lack of the actual work, she was not going to push Emma into it. Well, not much more than she had already had. "You know my opinion on the subject," she added, reminding Emma of their conversation during the crazy car race.

If it didn't contravene with her purpose, Regina would let her victorious smirk show at the blonde's surrender. Emma nodded heavily, her hands out of her pockets, her posture still rigid with tension but the reluctant acquiescence of the situation was apparent in it. "Good. As that is settled, you can see yourself out." Yes, there was a limit to her hospitality and she had reached it, leaving them in the kitchen as she went upstairs, dismissing them.

She paused in front Henry's room, knocking softly on the door. "I'm still up, Mom," came his reply and invitation, so she entered in, taking her seat beside him on his bed. "Are they gone?"

"Just about to be." At the shrewd look he directed at her, she chuckled softly. "Emma didn't tell them she was hurt, and she is now the Sheriff," she filled him in shortly, before she went into more detailed explanation of healing Emma and the conversation in the kitchen.

"Why wouldn't she tell them?" Henry asked as they heard Emma call out from the entrance hallway that they were gone, smiling at domestic feel to it.

Regina looked into her growing boy, debating whether she should speak about that with him. With a deep sigh, she leaned back, opening her arms and smiling at him when he leaned into her shoulder, his arms around her middle. With her hand going gently through his hair, she looked up into the glowing stars stuck on the ceiling. "You hate it when I fuss much about your scrapes. Snow is worse, and Emma is still not used to having someone caring about her, or that someone honestly wants to take care of her. So, all that fussing makes her very uncomfortable, and she would avoid it any way possible."

"Makes sense," Henry mumbled, "but it is that all?" Regina smiled at her very smart and observant boy.

"No," she confirmed. "She had a very hard childhood, and she couldn't afford any sign of weakness…"

"Just like you…" Henry added absently.

"Hmm, and I guess that it is hard for Emma to show to others that she sometimes needs help or a break, because in her mind, it's still a weakness that others might exploit. And, this town is not helping that, with the world ending crisis each year…" Her explanation would do for tonight, and he knew that she was done talking about it.

"Mom?" Henry looked up at his mother beside him after a while. "Could we keep doing what we did in New York? The shared meals and doing things together?" His hopeful expression was hard to deny and so she nodded, deeply inside knowing that she didn't mind it one bit, even though she did put a disgruntled face that her perceptive boy saw right through. He grinned happily at her and dove back down with his arms still around her middle, but his head now on his pillow. Regina rose from the bed and kissed his forehead, marveling at his sleepy smile.

"Sweet dreams, my little prince," she whispered over his temple before turning to leave.

"Good night, mom. Love you." The boy murmured already half asleep, missing a brilliant smile passing over Regina's face as she closed the door behind her.


	14. Chapter 14

"Come on, we'll give you a lift," David spoke when he walked out of the mansion, his wife following him closely, as he looked back at his daughter who hesitated at the stairwell. He noticed her glancing up before she squared her shoulders and walked down the steps.

"Regina, we're off," she announced loud enough to be heard upstairs, before closing the door behind her. Then she looked at her hopeful parents who watched her with their warm but expectant expressions on their faces. Shaking her head, she zipped up her jacket. "No, you go on, put Neal to sleep." She hugged David, patting his back, before turning to her mother. Mindful of the child she held the slightly shorter woman and kissed Neal's forehead gently. "I'll walk; need to clear my head anyways. I'll come up for breakfast tomorrow, before we go to the office." With that she strolled down the path and onto the street, directing herself toward her newly acquired home, having gotten the keys from Snow just several minutes before.

"I thought we were past this," Mary Margaret murmured sadly as she climbed into their truck.

"She needs time," David said sagely, as he closed the door gently, before he rushed to his side. "At least she and Regina are somewhat friendlier to each other."

"You noticed that, too?" The young mother asked as they pulled away from the curb. "I've never seen Emma calm down so quickly like today. I guess New York did them good, after all…"

As Emma walked up to her building, she noticed a very familiar figure leaning against her door, with a smile appearing on the young face at her arrival. The guest lifted her hand and in it was a glass bottle six pack of beer. "Mary Margaret confiscated the key I had," the woman said pushing off the door, allowing Emma to unlock. But before the blonde could even ask anything, the woman continued. "You owe me a story, Ems. I thought beer would help."

"Ruby," Emma chuckled at her friend, letting her in. To her immense pleasure, between her parents, the dwarves and Ruby, her place was fully stocked and had a rather homey feeling to it. Going directly to the couches upstairs, she took off her boots and jacket, her body dropping heavily on the furniture. "Give me that," she motioned for one of the bottles, gesturing to the girl to join her. Twisting off the cap, she took a swallow, letting the cold beer slide down her throat. "What do you want to know?"

"Everything, Ems. I am not leaving until you dish out."

"I don't even know where to start," Emma spoke, knowing that Ruby was quite capable of hounding her until she told everything.

"Well, for starters, I see you survived the close quarters with her." Ruby was a master at gossiping, which meant that she was also a gifted interrogator, and slowly, greatly helped by the beer, she pulled the story out of the reluctant blonde, her comments often bringing hilarious reactions out of the Savior. After two hours of talking, with Emma sharing only the snippets of their time together, most of her tale involving Henry and neutral subjects, the two women were laughing as Ruby told one of her anecdotes to ease the strain of the talk on Emma. But, in truth, the werewolf only wanted to lull the blonde into a false sense of security before launching her second part of the interrogation.

"So, did our illustrious Mayor bestow her favor on you for saving her life?" Ruby asked with a wink, her voice falling into a deeper register, as she waited for the reaction. That was one part that Emma couldn't skip, as it was crucial to explaining why she had smelled of blood when she had entered the study only hours before. Even then she only glossed over the event, telling only the main points.

Just watching Emma sputter the beer made the question worth it, but the redness of her face was a bonus. "Ruby, what the hell!" Emma wiped her mouth glaring at the wolf.

"What?" The woman shrugged innocently, confident that needling the blonde would give her more answers, not that she really needed any, as it was rather obvious once she saw the signs. "That's the shtick, isn't it? The Hero saves the princess - the princess sleeps with the Hero?"

"That's Regina you are talking about!" Emma replied with indignation, as she lowered the bottle on the nearby table, rising from the couch.

"So? It doesn't mean that she is not hot, though. Personally, I like the whole Mayor bitch thing, but the Queen was… sizzling." The girl added saucily. Then she looked at Emma, her head tilted at an angle. "Unless you don't think she is pretty?" Ruby purposefully missed the point as she watched the Savior sputter through the words rolling in her head. She would laugh if it weren't part of her plan, as the woman seemed to freeze in one second, the words spewing out of her mouth uncontrollably the next.

"Of course she is pretty, Ruby! She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, but…" Emma started talking, but then she changed her mind as she realized what she had just said, dropping back onto the couch, her hands rubbing her face, too tired to even involve in the argument Ruby seemed insistent to start.

"Most beautiful woman you have ever seen?" Ruby teased, gently patting Emma's shoulder.

"She is. And, it's not just the looks, Ruby." The blonde was startled herself when the words left her mouth, but it felt good to share her inner thoughts with someone, and she knew that she could count on Ruby for discretion. And, also, the six-pack that had been sitting in her fridge they had drank after Ruby's was another reason for her impulsive chattiness. "She is magnificent," Emma spoke softly, leaning her head back, sinking into the couch, as her body relaxed. "I don't think anyone realizes the wonder, the glorious creature, that woman is under that entire hard exterior." Accepting another bottle of drink, Emma looked toward her friend and smiled, her head lolling on the back of the couch. "This town still sees her as the Evil Queen, even after all the things she did for it, but she is not. She hasn't been in a very long time."

"Their memories are still there, Emma, and she was the Queen."

"I know," the blonde replied softly, closing her eyes. "I get that. She was hell-bent on Snow, and a lot of people got caught in the crossfire, and people have a gift of remembering all the bad things." A heavy sigh could be heard, before the Savior took another sip of her drink, keeping her eyes closed. "But, that is something that really makes no sense to me."

"What?"

"Everyone deemed her evil, just because she wanted to destroy Snow and all that helped her. I know she did some terrible things, and I am not excusing her, but it hardly seems fair that Rumplestiltskin can walk around and no one even bothers to throw a scathing glance his way and he is the frigging Dark One, the devil incarnate, and she gets all the scorn. The same deal is with Hook. And, Neal. They mess up, people campaign for another chances; she missteps and a lynching mob forms." Emma opened her eyes and frowned at her own words. "I screw up, and she forgives me. Not only that, she took care of me, she healed me, went above and beyond – and it wasn't only because Henry was there. And, people should ask for a reality check if the supposed villain is the most real, honest and generous human being in this town."

Ruby frowned at the wording and leaned over to the intoxicated woman and drawing her attention with a soft touch on her face, the werewolf asked the Savior, "What the hell happened in New York?" Looking into the green eyes, noticing the bluish tinge in it for the first time since she had known the blonde, the brunette watched as Emma tried to focus, her persistent gaze demanding answer. As Emma had Snow's eyes, the shape shifter recognized the significance of the change in color, the blonde was feeling deeply unhappy.

"It's not just New York, Ruby. It's Neverland, and chasing Zelena, and the whole time I've known her."

"I thought it was just a crush, but you are in deep, aren't you?" Ruby spoke with awe as she looked at her friend, something akin compassion in her eyes.

Emma scoffed softly at the woman beside her and took another swallow of the beer, emptying the bottle. "It doesn't matter." Rising from the couch, she picked up the rest of the discarded bottles, carrying them to the trash bin in the kitchen, closely followed by her guest who had brought the rest of the empty bottles.

"How can it not matter? You love her!" Ruby could not believe that Emma was so blasé about her feelings for the Mayor. Perhaps it was the Enchanted Forest in her, but love, any kind of love was to be pursued, especially if it was True Love.

"Rubes, leave it alone," the blonde spoke tiredly, turning away as she took a bottle of water out of the fridge. The display on the microwave told her that it was late in the night, and she hoped that the booze and the tiredness would protect her from her nightmares, for she had no strength to deal with them as well on this long day.

"What about Hook? Was he only a toy?" Ruby suddenly remembered the pirate, who had seemed to be glued to Emma's side most of their free time before Emma had left to New York with the Mills. The dashing captain had been besotted with the blonde for a long time, and she had not missed the puppy eyes Killian had been directing at the Savior.

"A distraction." The blonde murmured after she sipped the water.

"From what?" Ruby insisted, coming from behind at her friend. If she had been just a bit less drunk, she would have recognized Emma's need of space, but in this state she truly was like a dog with a bone. "A distraction from what?" Not letting the blonde step away, the brunette leaned against the counter. "Regina?"

"I am not doing this," the Savior spoke harshly, shaking her head. "I've got an early morning. You can crush here if you want."

"Stop changing the subject."

"I am not, I am shutting this conversation down. Good night, Ruby."

But before Emma could go to her bedroom, she heard the other woman speak from behind her, "Does Snow know about this?" And it was all it took for her to snap. Turning around, she threw the half-filled bottle of water toward the sink as she growled at her friend, her ire finally putting some sense into the shifter and the younger woman pulled back in fear, seeing the former Sheriff step closer toward her with danger shining out of her eyes.

"Damn it to hell, Ruby!" Instead of grabbing the silent woman as she wanted to, the blonde grabbed the counter, willing herself to calm down, the already frail control over her emotions breaking with each second. With the excitement of the day, followed by Regina's treatment of her and argument with Blue, and dealing with her parents, Emma was at her last thread. "You really want to know? Fine!" Her eyes connecting with the dark blue of the wolf, Emma gritted her teeth. "I needed a distraction from my parents naming my brother after the man who ruined my life! From even having a brother thirty years younger than me." After she had spoken those words it was like a dam was broken on everything she had kept quiet about. "I needed a distraction from my family and their happily ever after, from being in Storybrooke again, from being a Savior. All the magic, the royal crap, the expectations… And, yes, from Regina." As soon as that name passed her lips, Emma seemed to collapse unto herself, leaning onto her elbows. "She was so happy with him, and I couldn't watch it. I was glad that she was finally getting what she deserved, love that she always wanted, but…"

"It wasn't with you," Ruby spoke gently, coming closer to Emma. She knew that she had stepped mightily over the line that evening, but she also knew that the woman needed to get it off her chest, instead of letting it fester in the silence of her own mind.

"It wasn't with me," Emma agreed weakly. "And, I know it's impossible, because there are so many mistakes and wounds between us, but we would've been good. No, we would've been great together. And we already have a son together." After a lost smile appeared on her face, Emma blinked and shook her head, focusing onto the counter beneath her fingers. "However, we had too much of a past, and I knew that she saw me as a friend at best, so I needed a distraction. Something that would prevent me from bothering her, especially if she was finally living her happy ending. And he was there, all puppy eyed, as Regina said. I care about him, but come on, he is Hook. And I cannot be bought for the price of a stupid boat."

"That's why you wanted to leave Storybrooke." Ruby sighed in understanding and prompted Emma further. "Then, the vortex happened…"

"Yeah, that… You know, meeting the Evil Queen only made me appreciate Regina even more. Coming back from that darkness and still being a loving mother, a good friend and a hero – it's humbling." And, unbelievably sexy, her mind added, but she wasn't going to say that aloud, to Ruby of all people – the wolf would never stop teasing her. "I brought Marian back and effectively ruined her happiness. But, that is not the worst of it."

"There is more?"

Unable to sleep, Regina went to the kitchen, tying her robe. A nice soothing cup of tea would help with her unexpected bout of insomnia, she thought. Then, remembering finding Emma in her small restroom, she decided to clean up while she waited for the tea to steep. The first thing that drew her attention was the discarded shirt, the dried blood turning into the color of rust, stiff and smelly. With a simple wave of her hand, the floor was cleared with no trace of blood or glass on it, before she turned toward the sink ready to use magic again, but a presence of a small and flat object on it stopped her. Emma's phone lied there, apparently forgotten when Regina had transported them upstairs.

Deciding to take it with her to the bed room along with her tea, Regina cleared the toilet and climbed the stairs. She knew it was too late in the evening, or rather early in the morning, for a call or a visit, and she would assume that the Sheriff would need her phone, but she wanted to know if Emma also had trouble sleeping, despite the fact that that desire was being covered up by the more practical need to know where the blonde was before sending the device. It was the ruined shirt that had made it clear to Regina that the reason she was not able to sleep was the very blonde she was thinking of spying on. As impossible as it seemed, she had gotten used to sharing her sleeping space with the blonde in those few and short nights in New York. So, when she sat at her vanity desk, debating whether she should activate the mirror spell, her mind kept going back to their conversation on the roof.

Her decision made, she waved her hand over the surface of the glass, willing it to show the blonde, the sound of someone shouting startling her, making her jump in her seat and knocking over the china cup filled with hot tea on the floor. "Damn it," she hissed at the pain she felt over her lap, but it was soothed with another gesture of her hand. She looked up to the mirror, finally paying attention to the words. Emma's voice filled her room, and Regina could hear that the blonde had been pushed over the emotional verge. " _I needed a distraction from my parents naming my brother after the man who ruined my life!_ " the brunette heard and ready to wave her hand again, not wanting to intrude (the irony of it did not escape her) made the motion. However, the mention of her own name stopped her, pulling her into the speech she was secretly witnessing, the mirror showing an unfamiliar kitchen and the two women in it. Shocked by the things the Sheriff was talking about, Regina sat in her chair, frozen and her attention pinned to the mirror.

" _There is more_?"

"What?" Regina murmured, not seeing what Emma could have done to make it worse.

" _When I saw Marian and Robin get together, I felt my heart breaking for Regina. I knew I made a grievous mistake, one that could very well destroy the world as I know it. But, deep, deep inside, in one part of a second, all I felt was relief._ " Regina heard Emma scoff with self-loathing, and she was not able to summon the anger in reaction to the news as she waited for the rest of it, wanting, no, needing to hear the all of it. She could see the blonde push away from the counter and sigh, continuing on as Ruby patted her shoulder in understanding. " _For that moment in time, I felt relieved because he was out of the picture._ "

" _Emma_ ," the werewolf spoke with off mixture of reproach and comfort, but the blonde shrug the woman off.

" _I know, I know, it was mean and heartless and all the kinds of evil, but in that one moment, I_ …" Regina could see Emma swallow hard, not able to say what she had felt that day. " _I mean, he swept her of her feet, and afterwards I learned that he was her soulmate, something about a fairy dust, and Tinker Bell and all that magic shit_." The immeasurable sorrow filled the blonde's voice, as she whispered the next words, " _How could I ever compete with that_?"

A long silence filled with heavy breathing engulfed Regina's bedroom, her own shuddering breaths mixing in with the two women's from the mirror. The Mayor could not even conceive of moving away from the window into the space the Savior currently occupied, the revelation of the blonde's feelings and motives presented too great a temptation for Regina to miss. Then, once more, Emma found her strength to speak, stunning Regina once again.

" _I would give anything to undo what I did that day. My own life is not the price enough I am willing to pay for it. However I saved a life that day, and no matter how much I wish I could, I cannot regret that. But, it is done and I cannot change the past again. Although she might have forgiven me for it without knowing everything, I will never. For destroying something that made her happy, for feeling relief because of it, for many other mistakes of that day… For causing pain to the one person who deserved it the least, among all others_." With her monologue over, Emma brought her hand to her face, only then realizing she was crying. Wiping the tears hastily, she sniffed and took a deep breath, needing to say one more thing. " _So, you see how it doesn't matter that I love her? I made my own feelings irrelevant, null and void, the second I stomped over hers. I have no right to even hope to be something more than Henry's other mother, and that is alright. In fact, I deserve much worse, but I am not complaining._ " After hearing those words, Regina watched Emma leave the waitress in the kitchen, walking away from her, while she felt the hot tears slide down her face at the confession she heard. Absently, she discontinued the magic from the mirror and cleared the broken shards of the cup, vanishing the liquid off the floor, breathing heavily as she tried to regain her composure, her mind repeating Emma's speech one more time. Regina had not been surprised with the blatant statement of Emma's love for her, as she had already gotten the picture with all the actions the Savior had done in the past years, the last few days mostly. However, she had no idea of the guilt that the blonde carried with her… But, at the same time she had known that something had been fueling Emma's self-loathing, just not the cause of it.

Regina climbed into her bed, leaving the phone right beside her on the next pillow, looking at it as if it held more secrets she was about to hear. She wouldn't sleep that night, the brunette knew without a doubt, as all the instances and nuances of her connection with the Savior since the very beginning replayed in her mind.


	15. Chapter 15

She had forgotten about the boredom of a small town Sheriff's office. Siting back in her chair, with her boots on the corner of her desk, Emma was reading through the reports David had filed, just to have something to do, and to get familiar with the events. Currently, she was reading on his notes from the car versus fire hydrant incident, shaking her head at her father's short declarative sentences that missed half of the points necessary for the filing, such as proper identifications of the participants, verified witnesses and so on. Regina's remark about her writing better reports wasn't so far off, after all.

She had taken up reading the minute David had left, finishing his first shift as a deputy by the lunch hour having decided to spend the afternoon with Mary Margaret and the little one. That morning, Emma had showed up at the loft quite early, not able to sleep despite her exhaustion. Having drunk a cup of murderously strong coffee, she had shared a breakfast with her family, dodging several of Mary Margaret's questions. Then, she went on a patrol with David, spending most of their time together in silence, apart from one occasion on the Main Street, when he had commented on her new place. The rest of the day she was cooped up in the office, some would say hiding and they would not be wrong.

On her desk were a paper container of Granny's burger special and a cup of chocolate, Ruby's way of apology and welcome into the job, delivered by the girl herself during her lunch break that she hadn't even touched yet, not having the appetite for it. Sensing the mood, the cheery brunette had left rather quickly, her shoulders sagging at seeing her friend so troubled. Beside ignoring the food, there was not much for Emma to do but the old reports but she used it to occupy her time, seeing that her phone was probably still in the Mayor's house, in the small restroom, along with plenty of games stored on it. It was only an hour before the school let out and she was just biding her time until meeting Henry, seeing that she had nowhere else to be, since the official phones were silent the whole day.

"Hard at work, I see," came the familiar drawl from the door of her office, making her look up with a faint smile playing around her lips. The Mayor was leaned against the door leading into the hallway as she looked into the office at the new appointed Sheriff.

"As always, Madam Mayor," Emma replied closing the file and putting it on the desk, as she lowered her legs down, turning toward her guest.

"Well, at least, you are not playing at darts this time," the brunette spoke accepting Emma's silent invitation to sit down. After she lowered herself into a chair, she placed her hand into her blazer's pocket and took out Emma's phone, placing it on the desk. "I wanted to return this."

"Yeah, thanks, I figured it was at your place," the other woman spoke gratefully, looking at the prim brunette in her office, waiting for the following question for no doubt the industrious Mayor would have looked for her much earlier.

"I came by the diner this morning, but one of the waitresses told me you have moved out, even before New York." Regina had indeed pass by the diner, establishing a passable alibi and excuse for her inquiry, and the news she had received had surprised her as she didn't expect Emma to find her place so quickly after deciding to stay. Having seen a bit of Emma's new place through the mirror, she could very well conclude that the blonde was not staying with her parents. And, Henry hadn't said anything about Emma moving, so she could assume that he didn't know about this either. "You didn't say…"

"No," Emma answered, taking the phone into her hand to check if she had missing calls and texts as she rose from the chair. Then she leaned against the sturdy desk right beside Regina, not wanting such barrier between them. "A lot has been going on, and Henry wasn't actually talking to me before we left. And, you, well, the same thing…" Looking away, Emma sighed. "New York was about being away from Storybrooke, and I didn't feel like talking about it. Not that we came even close to the subject." With a tired swipe over her face, the blonde pulled her hair of her forehead, looking more exhausted than before, the tired eyes underlined by the darkening skin beneath them. "Last night was my first night in, actually." Regina looked up at the Sheriff, her scrutiny obvious to the blonde. "I am fine," the Sheriff replied dismissively at the examination.

"You don't look fine." The brunette looked at the desk spotting the uneaten food, the sight of it making her frown. Emma not eating the burger or something equally greasy and unhealthy was almost unheard of, but to actually not touch the cocoa was unimaginable. The Savior noticed and picked up the containers, instantly throwing them into the waste bin, ignoring Regina's raised eyebrow and returning back to her seat.

"What can I do for you, Madam Mayor?" the Sheriff asked, avoiding Regina's eyes as she tried to arrange the folders on her desk, wincing at the curt tone that left her lips. But Regina wasn't fooled with such act, as she practically invented it. In the light of the previous night's revelations, it was understandable that Emma was feeling out of sorts, especially if she hadn't slept a wink. So, she just waited for the Sheriff to settle down. She didn't have to wait for long, because soon the blonde sighed and gave up on pretending to be busy and looked up, meeting the concerned dark eyes. "I didn't sleep well," Emma said instead of the apology.

"I can see that," Regina spoke softly leaning forward. "Was it because of me? The way I immobilized you with magic? I know we didn't have a chance to talk about it afterwards…"

"What? Regina, no, it has nothing to do with that!" Leaning against the desk with her elbows, Emma looked at the brunette earnestly and smiled. "I really appreciate what you did for me last night. And, I am a bit confused as for why would you even do it for me, and I am not talking about healing me…" Emma stopped to inhale, taking the time to think of what to say next, but before she could continue, the phone rang, startling both of them from the intense stare. "Sorry, have to…" the blonde mumbled before answering the phone. "Sheriff Swan, how may I…"

Regina watched the blonde slip into the role of the Sheriff seamlessly, her over the phone interview concise and calm as she gathered the necessary information. From the snippets she heard on Emma's side, the Mayor concluded that it was just a random neighbor complaint, but even though she caught the Savior roll her eyes at the speaker on the other side, nothing in her tone portrayed the hidden disdain to be involved in such trivial matters, remaining respectful and official all the time. Yes, it was a good decision to let Emma come back into the office, and she was sure most of the town would agree with her. Speaking of town, she needed to remember to remind her newly appointed Sheriff of the Town Hall meeting the next day.

"Of course, ma'am, I will head out immediately. No, it's all part of the job. Good day to you too." Regina smirked at the speed that the pleasant tone had slipped from the blonde as soon as she placed the phone back into its place. "Gods, what a load of crap," Emma complained as she opened her drawer, taking out her service weapon and a radio, knowing that barring something important and big she would not return to the office that day. "I need to go," she said, almost regretfully as she looked at the brunette that had already risen from her place. "Did you want something else, besides bringing me the phone?" Emma asked, turning around as she locked the office, turning off the lights.

The brunette noticed the hopeful tinge to the blonde's voice and smiled as she nodded, waiting for the woman to continue walking out. "If you are not too busy in the evening, join us for dinner." It wasn't what she had initially planned to say, but Henry's plea was still too fresh in her mind, and she did miss the everyday interaction with the Savior. And, there was no denying the fact that Regina was worried about the woman, all alone in her new place, still emotionally rattled. At the surprised glance thrown her way, Regina nodded in confirmation, continuing on. "Henry and I want you to join us. I am making lasagnas. It will be served around seven, but be free to come whenever."

"Are you sure?" Emma needed to corroborate what she had just heard, not quite believing her ears. She had been convinced that Regina was still angry with her. "I mean…"

"I know," Regina interrupted, letting Emma of the hook from trying to find a way to comment on their current relationship without somehow offending her or pissing her off. "And I am sure." Then she watched Emma shrug on her trademark jacket, before adding, "I'll leave you to it," and walked away to her office, aware of the gaze pinned to her back. She fought with her desire to put a bit more of teasing sway into her hip motions, not really sure that Emma would be able to handle it in her current condition.

The blonde shook her head in order to clear it as soon the brunette was gone from her line of sight, and jumped in into her cruiser, the route to her destination a familiar one. Instead of obsessing over the invitation and Regina's behavior, Emma tried to empty her mind and concentrate on her work.

Driving up to the house from which the complaint had come, Emma parked the car and left it in the driveway, waving to the owner peeking from the front side window. Instead of wasting time in repeating the talk with the woman, Emma turned toward the overgrown bushes at the outskirts of the town. The Sheriff contemplated the place she was at, as she thought of the complaint. The call had come in about a suspicious activity right at the edge of the woman's property. Namely, people disappearing into the forest, or toward the town, at all hours, sometimes engaged in rowdy songs and shouts. It seemed that David had not made the time yet to check upon this, as the woman had stated that it had been her fourth complaint so far.

Emma knew vaguely who the unruly men were, but at least she could reprimand them for disturbing the peace, it that was what they had been doing. Stepping into the forest, the blonde followed the freshly formed trail toward the encampment of the Merry Men, sighing as she heard the jolly roaring laughter and music. Being sure to be heard, she stepped into the sight of the fire pit, the attention of the men, the child and the women instantly on her, as the song tapered off into the air, the friar stopping to play.

"Emma, I heard you were back," Robin spoke with surprise to see the Savior in his neck of the woods. "What can I do for you?"

"Can we talk?" the blonde spoke after nodding in greeting to a couple of waves from the men around her. Marian was watching her with narrowed eyes, suspicion obvious on her face. It did not matter that Emma had reunited her with her husband and child, the minute Emma stood in Regina's corner it made her the enemy in the former prisoner's eyes. Not that Emma could blame her, it was, after all, her fault.

When Robin shrugged his shoulders and showed the blonde toward a secluded path up the hill, Emma passed through the camp and joined him for the short climb, before reaching a small clearing, quite a bit away from others, but close enough if need arose. Then the man turned toward her, his face expectant while his arms were crossed on his chest, somewhat uncomfortably due to the cast on his hand and wrist. The crusted scrapes were still visible on one side of his forehead, the gruff beard hiding the rest of it. Pleased with the results of her overt examination, Emma leaned against the closest tree and sighed.

"I have received a complaint about your men," the blonde spoke directly, not in the mood to circle around the subject. "Apparently, they have been too loud when passing by the outskirts of the town, waking up people in the middle of the night and such. It made a lot of people nervous, especially this close to the forest." At Robin's realizing frown, Emma looked around. "Don't you want to find a place somewhere in the town, though? With heating and indoor plumbing? A shelter from rains, at least." She asked, looking up at the suspiciously gray skies.

"We are woodsmen, Emma. The world has been torn away from us, and this is the only thing we have left of our homeland."

The Sheriff knew it was futile to try and convince them to move, and she was the first person to defend their right of choice, so she let it go. After asking about his family and a bit of a small talk, mostly regarding the new danger and how the men were settling in the town, Emma turned away to leave, having reiterated her warning about the property lines and the noise, but the soft utterance of her name stopped her.

"How is she?"

Emma closed her eyes, her back still turned toward him, having expected him to ask about Regina all the while she had hoped he wouldn't. She could feel his pain, it was too obvious in his quietly spoken words, filled with anguish and misery. "She is hurt and betrayed, again," she replied, keeping herself looking forward, not letting any of her resentment toward him fill her voice, for he did not deserve it, neither the pain she felt over her own involvement in the fact, making herself sound detached.

"Did she talk while you were away?"

Emma could not but frown at the trace of hope in his tone, turning toward him. "In general, yes," she replied, her eyes narrowing at him. "About you, not a word." Well, technically that was a lie, but the man didn't have to know that. If he wanted to learn about her, he could just go and ask Regina, permitting that the wife allowed it. It was her fault they were broken up, and the least she could do was to stay out of it, lest she messed it up further, and Regina would skin her alive for meddling. Not paying attention to his crumbling expression, she turned and walked away, deciding to go around the camp, not wanting to see any of the Merry Men, despite the fact that Mulan was now with them and the blonde considered the woman a tentative friend. Reaching her car, she checked her phone and noticed a missed call from his son. As she sat down onto the driver seat, she returned the call, smiling as soon as the exuberant voice of the teenager greeted her happily.

"Emma! Where are you?" Henry asked over his mother's slight rebuke not to speak with his mouth full. By the voices around them, Emma knew that they were at Granny's, probably for the afternoon snack before going home. Regina did have shorter days in the office since Henry had remembered who he was, all in order for them to be more together during the day, but the blonde knew that Henry would soon put a stop to it, in his gentle and considerate way, as he was slowly starting to reassert his teenager's attitude.

"On patrol, kid. What's up?"

"Are you coming tonight?" he asked instantly, having swallowed his bite. Almost immediately he followed with another question, not letting Emma answer. "Can you come sooner?" In all honesty, Emma debated with herself whether to go or not, her need to rest for a bit quite strong, but just as well, she wanted to see her son and his other mother, and forgoing a few hours of sleep seemed like a worthy sacrifice. But her mind was decided when she heard Henry's next question. "Do you want to come?" asked in a soft and unsure tone broke Emma's heart as she had never heard her own son sound so timid, even when she and Regina had been on their own warpath in the beginning. However, the metaphorical knife twisted when she overheard the brunette's whispered suggestion that he could go to Emma's for that night if that would make the Sheriff more comfortable.

"I am on my way over, Henry," she spoke quickly, forceful enough to draw back her son's attention to the phone, her heart feeling lighter when she heard him exclaim in glee at her proclamation. "Just give me half an hour to finish with this, OK?"

"Sure, no problem," he spoke happily, at the same time munching on the rest of his snack, at Regina's apparent displeasure. He broke the connection in the middle of his explanation that the sooner he was done with food, the sooner they would be home, making Emma laugh.

She looked down at her phone, noting the time. There was no way she could get home, shower and be at Regina's in half an hour, so she would need to go as she was, in muddy boots and smelling of forest, but it couldn't be helped. Instead of calling Henry again and postponing the time, she remembered his enthusiasm over the phone and started the car, deciding to go to the store first, hoping to at least have a good bottle of wine to negate her looks. After a quick stop at the grocers', she directed herself to the Mifflin Street, frowning at the rapidly darkening sky. She had forgotten how moody the weather was in Maine, and she sincerely hoped that it wouldn't start raining before she got into the house.

However, just as she pulled up in front of the manor, the heavy raindrops splattered over her windshield, promptly turning into a full on shower, making the blonde scowl at the prospect of going through the torrent to get to the door. Biting the bullet, she tied her hair up, picked the wine she had bought and opened the door, the deafening roar of water instantly engulfing her. As quickly as she could, she locked the car, opened the gate and rushed toward the raised patio in front of the door, surprised by the lower air temperature. Before she could even reach for the bell, the white door wrenched open, showing Regina in the same clothes she had on when she had been in Emma's office earlier.

"Well, don't you look rather refreshed, Sheriff?" the brunette smirked at the thoroughly soaked blonde before, her eyes going slowly down, taking into account every single detail of Emma's wet clothes. Then, she looked up and saw the narrowed eyes that just made her chuckle. Waving the disgruntled woman in, she called out to Henry, closing the door behind the blonde. As soon as the boy came to the foyer, he started laughing at his younger mother, her indignant shout doing nothing to stop him. "Henry, I am going to help Emma get settled, why don't you continue with the dinner?"

"Really? By myself?" He asked with awe in his tone, his face splitting in a huge grin when she nodded, before he rushed to kitchen to go on with the next step in making lasagnas from the scratch.

Then Regina turned toward Emma who had already climbed up the short stairs. "Where do you think you are going?"

The blonde looked at her with confusion. "Upstairs?"

"I am not letting you track water all over my wooden floors," Regina's no nonsense tone stopped Emma in track. Then she just transported them into a guest bathroom with magic. "I am going to bring you a change of clothes, but I strongly suggest you take a hot shower while you are here."

"Wait!" Emma spoke when the older woman was at the door, making her turn and raise her eyebrow at her. "This is for you," the blonde spoke embarrassedly, offering the wine, aware that she was creating a large puddle on the tiled floor, as her jeans were uncomfortably stuck to her skin and getting colder by the minute she was standing there, while she waited for the other woman to take the bottle out of her hands. Finally, their hands touched when the brunette came closer to relieve the water logged woman from it, the short skin graze making Emma gasp, the warm and dry fingers searing through her like white hot knives, the tingle coming from her hand into her heart and then spreading throughout her whole body, making her shudder for a moment.

"A Bordeaux? My, my, Miss Swan, look at you, pairing wines with the meals." Regina commented with the teasing edge, barely stopping her eyebrow to go up for the second time in that many minutes, this time in surprise as she was rather pleased that the often brusque blonde managed to find the wine that would complement the dinner perfectly. She did not miss the blonde's reaction to her touch but it all could have been explained with the icy cold flesh of Emma's palm. Throwing a smirk in Emma's direction, she exited the bathroom, leaving the blonde to undress and take a shower.


	16. Chapter 16

Finally alone, Emma sighed, her hands going toward the lapels of her jacket. Shrugging it off, she winced at the squeak of the leather that filled the bathroom, reminding her just how uncomfortably wet she was, and the worst part was, it was not all from the rain. Throwing the jacket on the counter, she pulled off her remarkably cleaner boots of her feet, and started taking off her skinny jeans. Grunting in exertion, she cursed herself for slipping into her Storybrooke 'uniform' that morning, but in her defense it was perfect for her work, she felt comfortable in it, and she hadn't planned on being in the deluge. When the offending article was finally of her skin, she dealt quickly with her vest and underwear, jumping into the shower, noticing that the towels were already hanging on the heating rack beside the shower cabin. Fiddling with the dials, she fixed the temperature and delved into the steaming stream of water, a throaty moan escaping her lips when the scorching liquid touched her chilled body, and she simply stood under the torrent allowing it to warm her up and soothe her wildly running mind.

Only when she became aware of the time that had no doubt passed since she turned on the shower, she went through the ablutions with hurry in order to meet the others downstairs as soon as possible. Pleased to see some of her things beside the towel rack, Emma chuckled at the miss matched pieces of the clothing, the black yoga pants that she had packed two days before after some thought were accompanied with one of her trademark white vests and with a gray hoodie emblazoned with the name of Henry's school. All in all, comfort clothes, warm and engulfing – perfect for an evening in with the family. The only thing that was strange about it was the fact that Regina had selected them for her.

Shaking her head, she shrugged off her thoughts about the brunette, and before she gathered the clothes, she tied up her wet hair into a messy ponytail, and then directed herself down with the armload of her things, placing her phone in the front pocket of the hoodie. Going to the foyer, she dropped off her boots and the jacket in the closet beside the door, leaving her badge and service weapon on the side table nearby, before she went to the laundry room she had seen the night before, passing by the kitchen, absently listening to mother and son talking about desserts. Placing her clothes in the dryer, she turned it on and went to join the others.

"You found everything alright?" Regina asked the blonde from her place at the kitchen counter, her hands deep into the dough. Receiving only a slight smile and a nod in return, she went back to kneading. "You and Henry can go to the living room while I finish this," the woman offered glancing toward her son, before her eyes returned to the blonde, but again she was met with a smile, this time followed by a light shake of the head.

"I am fine here," Emma murmured, leaning against the kitchen door, looking at them and enjoying the domesticity. Henry had flour on his cheek, while he hovered over the stove, steering a sweet, apple smelling mixture in the saucepan, quietly smiling at her, while Regina had an apron over her clothes, her sleeves pushed up, masterfully shaping the future desert on the counter. "Unless, you want me to leave?" Emma added softly, unsure if she was welcome in the kitchen.

"Here is fine," the Mayor replied gently, slightly bewildered with Emma's bout of insecurity – as it was happening more often, especially in this kind of family setting. She did understand, after overhearing Emma the night before, how could she not, but it still surprised her to find the woman who had been confident and unyielding for the most time she had known her so reticent. "You can help Henry with dishes," she added as she took the saucepan from the stove, gesturing toward the pile of used bowls and utensils placed in the sink.

"Yeah, I need help," Henry spoke chuckling as he turned the water on. He didn't mind doing his chores, and he had made a deal with his mother to teach him how to make his favorite food if he would help her with the dishes. But having another set of hands would only make it easier for him, and it would give his blonde mother something to do to occupy herself. He wasn't blind or stupid, and he could feel the tension radiating from the Sheriff as she shifted her weight from foot to foot. Involving her in a lighthearted chat about his first day in school after their vacation, he enjoyed the feel of having his both parents in one room coexisting peacefully.

Regina listened to them, placing the turnovers on the baking paper covered pan, smiling as their son managed to draw the blonde into an argument about literature as they worked in tandem, dealing with the dirty dishes in speedy manner, with Emma drying and placing things away, following his directions. Just watching them, she could feel their familiarity with the process, as they had no doubt done such chores together in the lost year. The brunette thought she would feel at least a slight pang of jealousy at the picture presented before but all she felt was warmth and traces of longing. Placing the desert in the already heated oven, she checked up on the lasagna. Henry and she had agreed to start on the dinner a bit earlier than planned, seeing that Emma would join them sooner than expected, and knowing the blonde she would be hungry, just as well her growing boy who had apparently inherited the monster of the appetite from the Savior.

Sending Henry and Emma to set the table in the dining room, Regina opened the wine to breathe, taking a pair of crystal wine glasses out of cupboard, along with soda for Henry. Looking at the glasses, she tried to remember the last time she had someone over for dinner that Henry was part of. The last person to eat with her in her dining room was David before the curse broke, not counting her son. Graham never had stayed over long enough for her to offer him a meal, and she had been meeting Tinker Bell at the diner. And the choice of food tonight was something troubling. Henry asked for apple turnovers, stating that he had missed one of his favorite desserts, and that the lost year had cured him of his aversion for all things apple. But, the memory of the last turnover she had made was still too fresh in her mind, and the consequences of it were forever carved into her soul. Despite Henry's reassurances, she did feel a bit apprehensive serving it tonight.

"You OK?" she heard the Sheriff's gentle whisper from behind, startling her a bit. Regina glanced behind her, her trepidation still evident on her face, and she watched Emma get closer to her. "Hey, what's wrong?" the blonde asked softly, her hand coming to Regina's upper arm and before she even realized what she was doing, Emma was giving a comforting rub over the silk shirt. The dark eyes flew down at the touch, and seeing the glance, Emma quickly disengaged with a blush. "Sorry, I…"

"He asked me to make apple turnovers for tonight," Regina uncharacteristically blurted, unwilling to let Emma distance herself any more, and yet wanting to gloss over it. The soothing touch on her arm did ease some of her uneasiness, but it did cause a warm tingling deep in her belly. She glanced up at the Savior and saw the confused expression, and almost rolled her eyes at the blonde. "I haven't made them since the one I gave you," she whispered pointedly, watching the understanding dawn on the blonde's face. And instead of consternation, compassion filled the green eyes as Emma stepped closer, her hands going to Regina's shoulders, this time the move planned and intended. It was somewhat awkward, as the blonde was in her socks and the Mayor was still in her heels, making her slightly higher, but Emma disregarded it and connected their gaze.

"He ate the turnovers all the time in New York, along with apple pies. Henry would always say it was like a piece of home for him, that no matter where we live or move next, there will always be his favorites to buy." Seeing Regina's eyes glaze with tears at the mention of home, Emma brought her hand to the brunette's face, her thumb wiping an errant drop gliding down the cheek. It was such an intimate gesture, but neither woman minded it. "But, at the same time he would often say that something was missing, that they weren't quite right." Her voice dipped even lower, not wanting Henry to overhear her if he was to walk in to see what was keeping her. "He missed you, without even knowing it. You are such a fundamental part of his life, and that is what made it easy for him to forgive everything. He loves you, Regina, and he loves your desserts." It was a glorious picture seeing Regina so vulnerable and open, as such occurrences were so rare, that Emma treasured each of them deeply. Oddly enough, the conversation they were having was making the blonde draw parallel between this moment and the one in the hospital supply room two years back. Then, she had wanted to kill the woman, and now she wanted nothing more than to take into her arms and soothe away every fear and worry. Funny how fate worked, she remarked to herself as she looked into the gentle brown orbs looking at her. Not wanting to end this moment, but recognizing that it needed to, lest they would be awkward around each other for quite a time, Emma moved slightly away, returning her hand onto the shoulder, squeezing it gently. "So, be ready to bake every day from now on," she added lightly, just in time when the door to the kitchen opened.

"Did you get lost while searching for salad?" Henry asked before even entering into the kitchen, stopping when his eyes fell onto his mothers standing unusually close to each other. The second he noticed them, though, Regina turned away, her palms moving in a way that suspiciously looked like wiping the tears, as one of Emma's hands remained on her upper arm in comfort. "What did you do?" he mouthed to Emma, crossing his arms over his chest, his eyes demanding an answer. But, then he thought about it. If it was really something that Emma had done, his brunette mother would not stand so close to her, nor allow her to witness her tears. Quickly, he walked to Regina and engulfed her in a rib breaking embrace, paying no attention to her startled grunt, holding her firmly. After a second of being frozen in spot, Regina relaxed in the hug, her arms going around her son, lavishing in the love the boy bestowed on her. She saw Emma move away from them silently, stopping to pick up the salad bowl from the refrigerator and glasses before leaving them alone, giving them privacy.

Using the time away, Emma checked her phone, moving into the living room as she dialed her mother. It was the message about dinner that prompted her to call, aware that she couldn't ignore them. "Hi, it's me," she spoke tiredly as she sat down on the fancy couch Regina had in the room. "No, I am at Regina's for tonight," she replied to Mary Margaret's question about coming to dinner. "But, I can come tomorrow, perhaps even bring Henry along?" It felt like bribery for Emma, and like she was throwing her own son to the wolves in effort to shift her parents' attention from her, but she needed more time, and it didn't help that her mother was so insistent to play a happy little family with all of them together, and she was in no shape or mood to sit them down and talk about it. Talking about it with Regina in New York helped a little, and also her shouting at Ruby did ease the boiling pressure, but it was negated with the awkward breakfast she had shared with her family that morning, her sleepiness only making things easier.

"Perhaps, one of these days we could all get together? Like before the curse was broken?" Mary Margaret asked gently, interrupting Emma's internal deliberation. "We could go to Granny's again."

"I'll ask," Emma replied non-committally, before she yawned, which prompted her mother to let her go, after confirming that her father would take over the morning shift at the station, which meant that Emma was still on call, till the morning at least, but if nothing happened during the night, she would have a lot of time to catch up on her sleep.

With a heavy sigh she rose up from the sofa and placing the phone in the pocket, she shuffled toward the dining room, hearing the clinking sounds of utensils and dishes meeting. The others were there, Henry already seated, while Regina was serving the main course, standing elegantly at the supposed head of the table. Taking her seat across her son, Emma smiled in thanks as the brunette placed lasagna on her plate. And, with great gusto they tucked in, enjoying their meal, as they shared light hearted stories and getting involved in the parallels of superheroes to the fairytales, started of course with Henry stating that Regina was like Batman and Emma like Superman… After making him explain his rationale, where he went into a great detail describing that Emma being sent through the tree portal was like Superman being sent to another planet, to serve and protect, just like Emma was doing now. Then he turned to his brunette mother, drawing parallel between the moody brooding rich do-gooder and the former Evil Queen, making both of the adults laugh with incredulity and glee, often teasing him, and each other with an interesting detail or joke. Their relaxed conversation continued over the course of dinner, past the dessert and then when they moved into the living room. Only when Henry excused himself to go to bed did they realized how late it was getting.

"Pour us the rest of the wine while I take care of the dishes," Regina suggested after Henry wished them both a good night, scampering off to the upper floor with an unusual spright in his legs for someone who claimed to be dead on his feet. Emma heeded the request and took her glass as she sat back on the sofa, her back warmed by the roaring fire coming from the hearth. She directed her hand to go through her released tresses, curling softly unattended, feeling them dry in the warm air of the living room. Although she enjoyed the heat, the memory of her cold flesh from the flood still too fresh on her mind, it was making her drowsy, especially as she was going on close to forty hours without sleep.

"So, Clark," Regina started with a smirk as she walked back in the room, placing herself on the other side of the couch, turning toward Emma as she took her own half-filled glass of wine, "how was your day job?" Emma smiled at the teasing edge in Regina's voice before she told her of all the reading she had done that day, and rewriting David's newest unfiled reports to more appropriate standards. "Thank you," Regina replied after a laugh delighted with Emma's light disbelief over her father's reports. "That reminds me, there is a Town Council meeting tomorrow at 2pm. You need to be there, as some things regarding the Sheriff's office would be discussed, budget included."

"Sure, I'll be there," the blonde replied before she took a swallow of her drink. "I never asked, but did you have any problems for being appointed Mayor again?"

"There was some discontent but honestly, we weren't here long enough for it to be of great concern. David dealt with it, and then you came."

"And now?" Emma asked, leaning her head on the back of the couch, having drank the last of her wine and placed the glass on the table.

"Now, they are just happy to have someone who knows what she's doing in the office," Regina answered, her resentment of the fact evident in the barely there sneer in her voice, as she placed her elbow over the back of the couch, her head leaning on her palm.

"They give you too little credit," the blonde replied earnestly, her eyes connecting with Regina's, the truth and conviction blazing from them. "I am going to change that," she continued with a murmur, her eyes drooping with exhaustion, but she still fought against her tiredness, wanting to spend more time with Regina in such open setting.

"I don't want you getting in fights over me, Emma," Regina replied sternly, the incident from the meeting the night before on her mind.

"I make no promises," the blonde said with such insufferable presence that the Mayor sighed in relief at the return of her brazen Sheriff Swan. "But what I can give you is a promise to be as diplomatic as possible about it." Emma offered a compromise.

"Thank you," the other woman spoke with sarcasm, noting that the Savior was beyond tired as this point, her eyes almost closed all the way. "It's late," she started and her mention of time startled Emma awake.

"I should go, my place is not that far." At Regina's incredulous look, Emma shrugged. "Really, it's in the middle between the Town Hall and Granny's."

"You are not going anywhere, especially not in this weather," Regina spoke firmly, stopping Emma from walking toward the door. "Come, I do have a guest room," the woman continued, ushering the blonde toward the room next to the guest bathroom, turning on the light inside. Emma noticed that the bag with her things was at the foot of the bed, the sight of it strangely making her warm from inside out. "Get some sleep," the brunette offered before leaving the Sheriff alone. Not bothering to take off her things, Emma went beneath the covers, burrowing her head into the soft down pillow scented with lavender and ever present apples, sinking into the restful sleep instantly, as her body relaxed into the sinfully confortable mattress. She did not even notice Regina entering her room a couple minutes later to bring in the now dry things, placing them over the chair in the corner. The brunette chuckled softly when she saw the Sheriff sleeping, her pose unwittingly mirroring her son's, with one leg over the comforter and both hands bellow the pillow. She noticed the hood peeking from around the blonde's neck and frowned, coming closer. Emma hadn't seemed cold but she wasn't flushed with heat either, and touching lightly the cool cheek confirmed her theory that the cold shower in the afternoon probably had messed with the Sheriff's temperature regulation. With a light shake of her head and a sigh, Regina left the room, knowing that there was nothing to do but to wait for Emma's own body to reestablish its regulation.

Retiring to her room, Regina quickly changed into her pajamas and went to bed, knowing that she needed to sleep, feeling somewhat mollified that the blonde whose presence the Mayor seemed to have grown to desire and cherish was sleeping two rooms over. With a heavy sigh she closed her eyes, decidedly shutting off her brain for the night.


	17. Chapter 17

Engulfed in comfort, blissfully warm, Emma was pulled toward consciousness by the incessant vibration from somewhere near her belly. Shifting away, she burrowed deeper into the pillow, her dreams of the certain hard-ass bringing a light smile on her face, among other things, but the buzzing would not stop. With an annoyed groan, Emma opened her eyes and flipped onto her back, reaching for her phone, noting that it was only half past three, which meant she was sleeping for less than four hours. Recognizing the number on her screen, all the thoughts of ignoring the call disappeared as she answered the dispatch.

With the speed borne of habit and need to be ready in the matter of seconds, Emma jumped into her things, keeping in mind that she was supposed to be silent as others were still asleep. Not wanting to deal with her things in the rush, the blonde only scribbled a note for her host, leaving it on the table beside the bed, before she sneaked out of the room and down the stairs. Putting on her boots, she affixed the badge and gun onto her belt, before taking her jacket, not even bothering to put the stiff leather on. Carefully, she closed the door behind her and rushed toward the squad car, disregarding the light chilling drizzle.

Not turning the siren or the lights on the car until she was well away from the 108 Mifflin, Emma focused completely on the task at hand. The call had been about an unexplained traffic accident by the Pine Road, just minutes away from her position. Slowing down, she looked around for a scene of event, as she would be most likely first one to arrive, and within seconds she came upon a car turned over in a ditch, mangled, with the wheels still lazily rolling in the air. Grabbing her radio, the Sheriff immediately requested assistance and ambulance, before she went out of the car, to look for the survivors. Taking the first aid kit from her trunk, the blonde left her own leather jacket in the car and took out the official flak jacket that had her position emblazoned on the back in reflective letters from the trunk, as the air she breathed was visible in the night darkness interrupted with the flashing of her rotation and front lights. Carefully sliding down the muddy side of the ditch, Emma approached the car, her flash light looking for any possible fuel leaks, but luckily there were none. Then she saw the two people in the front of the car, hanging by their seat belts, both unconscious and unmoving. Kneeling down beside the driver's nonexistent window, Emma gasped, recognizing the blood covered man inside and quickly, she checked for his pulse, sighing in relief when she felt a barely there rhythm under her fingertips. As her hands flew over his head and neck, checking for more injuries except the one bleeding profusely on his temple, Emma tried to remember her first aid training she had completed in New York, requested by her boss, given the dangerous nature of their job.

"Please, help us," she heard and looked into the car to the passenger. The man's wife was looking at her with imploring eyes, unable to move much, except to place her hands over her bulging belly, making her condition clear. Emma immediately rushed toward the woman's side of the car, her hand going to her radio.

"Be advised, I have a pregnant female as one of the two injured in the accident," the Sheriff rattled off into the black handheld device as she tried to wrench open the door. "Hey, what's your name?" she asked the woman as her hands pulled on the twisted piece of metal.

"Melissa," the woman spoke tearfully as she looked over to her husband, a teacher in the school. Emma had met him on one of Henry's parent teacher conferences. "Is he alright? Why isn't he awake? Tom!" The panic was obvious, and Emma was aware that she was supposed to keep the woman calm.

"He's alive," the blonde spoke assuredly, giving up on the door. "Are you in pain? Can you move?" Slowly she managed to crawl in up to her shoulders, just enough to check for injuries on the woman. It seemed like most of the damage was on the left side of the car, but the woman had not escaped unscathed, the glass shattering causing some serious cuts on flimsily protected legs and arms. Involving the growingly frightened woman in the light conversation about their destination and why they were on the road so late, as a way of keeping the looming panic attack at bay, Emma tried to assess the injuries on her husband, stifling her reaction when she saw the man's legs pinned under the steering wheel and the engine. Gently she moved away, careful not to jostle either of them, the blonde slid out of the wreck completely, staying by the woman's side. "Hey, Melissa, do you know the gender of the baby?" Emma asked, as an attempt to distract the woman from the perilous state of her husband.

But before the woman could respond, Emma felt a hand on her shoulder. Startled, she reached for her gun, however it was the paramedic that wanted her out of the way, already unpacking his kit on the ground. Looking over, she saw his partner beside the driver, assessing his condition. Not wanting to be in the way, Emma stepped to the side, accepting one of the firemen's help to get back on the road. Moving toward the fire chief who had arrived on the scene with his men, Emma leaned on the hood of her car while she watched the others work quickly and with practiced moves.

Soon, she learned the whole story, as she interviewed the woman at the hospital, filling in the details from before. They were going back home from a house party their friends had thrown, wanting to catch a couple of hours of sleep before another working day. Tom, the husband, had an early day at school and that was the main reason why they hadn't stayed over with the hosts. On their way, when they had turned on the Pike Road a blonde woman wearing only a blue shimmering dress had appeared in front of them, gesturing at the car. Suddenly the ice formed, and Tom lost the control over the vehicle, making it turn over and roll off the road, stopping its descent in the mud with the engine side of the car slamming into a tree. As quickly as she appeared the woman in blue dress disappeared, leaving them alone in the ditch.

After consulting with Whale's nightshift counterpart, taking in the information about the conditions of the victims, frowning at the grim outcome for the male, Emma called Michael Tillman to take care of the wrecked ruin of the car. All in all, when she finished talking with the last of them, it was already half past eight in the morning. So she waddled into the office, her exhaustion and tortured complexion apparent to everyone who had seen her passing by, not only because of her dour expression but because of her muddy and bloody torn clothes. Greeting her father with a grunt and composing a brief written report, she filled him in on the accident, deciding to call Regina next, figuring the woman would be in the office by now. Closing the door of her office, Emma took off the ruined flak jacket and threw it aside, as she dialed the familiar number, her other hand playing with the muddy rip over her knee on her jeans.

"Mayor Mills," the brunette's voice filled Emma's ear, the simple address doing wonders for the blonde's tension, and she relaxed into her chair. She knew she was supposed to get over it, to find a way to stop feeling like this, but each time she would talk to Regina, or spend time with her and Henry, she felt like a part of something warm, welcoming and comforting, something she didn't want to give up.

"It's me," she said softly, closing her eyes. She heard a hard thud on Regina's desk, like the woman had dropped her fountain pen down and rustling of some papers, before the Mayor spoke.

"I heard what happened. Can you give me the official update?" Regina knew why Emma called. It was protocol to inform the Mayor of all major incidents in the town, car accidents included. But, if Emma had been following protocol, she would've called the minute she was on the scene, right after calling the paramedics and the firemen, and she would behave in highly official manner with enunciating her title. However, the brunette also knew that the Sheriff needed a break, and to be the first one called for such thing – it flattered Regina immensely. Listening to the blonde go into the details of her report, she heard the emotional toll the accident took on the Savior.

That morning, Regina had woken up thinking that the blonde had been still asleep in the guest room, not even bothering to wake the woman up, familiar with David's half shift schedule. But, when Henry had come down, telling her that Emma was gone, and that she had left a note, Regina had frowned over her morning coffee because she had not heard anyone leaving and she was a very light sleeper. Also, her son's proclamation caused disappointment to flourish in her, as she had been looking toward sharing another meal with the blonde.

"Does Rumple know?" Regina asked after the Sheriff finished. Emma's confirming murmur pushed her to ask more. "What do you think, why was she there?"

"I think she got freaked by the car, but I don't know why there and then," Emma answered, pushing away from the table as she slid a bit in her chair. "It doesn't make sense, why isn't she attacking Gold, or the town at least? Why all the hiding and walking around the forest?" But then, Emma closed her eyes and murmured a soft never mind, before she confirmed the time of the Town Council meeting.

"If you are amenable, you can bring us lunch beforehand?" Regina offered softly, her tone unsure, shocking Emma into silence. "Or, perhaps not," the brunette tried to backtrack after a prolonged moment of quietude from the blonde.

"No, I," Emma managed to say, a bit louder than necessary, wincing at her own screech. "I'd love to," she added in more appropriate tone. "I am going to my place now, to grab a couple more hours of sleep and a change of clothes, so I'll see you around one in your office? Granny's take out?"

"That's fine," the Mayor spoke as someone entered her office. "Don't be late," Regina added her trademark ending that she had used every time she had made an appointment with Emma the first time around she had been the Sheriff, making the blonde chuckle weakly. "Emma?" she spoke softly, holding the woman on the line a bit longer.

"Yeah?"

"Get some rest," the brunette said, ending the conversation, not hearing Emma's reply of  _Yes, Ma'am_.

Emma smirked at the expected cutoff and lowered her phone down on the desk as she sighed, gathering her strength to get up. Picking up her things, she waved off her father's offer to drive home, saying that she needed to stretch her legs anyway. Passing by Granny's she waved hello to Ruby and Ashley, going to her place. Leaving her weapon and badge by the apartment door, she started taking off her clothes, throwing them right away into the hamper in the en suit bathroom, and instantly walked into the shower, turning the water on, hoping it would take the scent of blood, mud and pine out of her nostrils. After she spent more than a half hour under the steady stream of steamy water, she deemed herself clean enough to leave the confines of her shower. Wrapping a towel around her middle and her hair, she programmed an alarm to wake her in time to meet with the Mayor. Not even bothering to change into something to sleep in, or to even dry her hair she dropped onto her bed and closed her eyes, hoping that she would manage to grab a two hours of shuteye without gruesome images marring them.

Hours later, Regina heard a knock on the door of her office and looking up, she saw a dash of familiar red through the frosted glass. Frowning, she called out, searching for her phone. Was it the time for lunch already? And, when the Sheriff entered, her hands full with Granny's take out bags, her suspicion was confirmed.

Emma noticed the woman's absent minded manner as she kept looking for something under the mountain of papers over her desk. "I can go if you are too busy," she offered, standing by the large table as she lowered the bags on the polished surface. Her eyes darted toward the sitting area, remembering the last time she had been in that place, the memory of the pain and the loss of air still somewhat intense in her mind, before she looked back toward the Mayor who had risen from her chair in the meantime.

Regina had not missed the glance, and as the realization of what Emma was remembering hit her, a strong feeling of shame came over her. "No, I just lost track of time," she said as she stepped around her desk. "Are you OK with us eating here?" her low voice reached the blonde, the understanding in it making it obvious for the Sheriff that she was not alone in reminiscence of that moment. "We can go somewhere else, if you'd rather." Regina saw Emma swallow before taking one of the chairs and gesturing to the brunette to sit down. As the Mayor approached, she reached for the blonde's hand on the back of the chair, her touch an apology and comfort rolled into one, hoping it would be at least a start in making up for what had happened in there the last time Emma had been in the office. The pale skinned fingers moved from under Regina's and that brief moment made the brunette's heart dip in defeat, that is until she felt the hand return to hers, this time over it, squeezing it lightly, before moving away, as Emma pulled out another chair and sat. Looking at the brunette expectantly, the Savior started unpacking the bags, placing Regina's regular order in front of her, her eyebrows going up in question when Regina still stood frozen beside her chair. Clearing her throat, Regina shook off the shock of the forgiving touch and took her seat.

They ate in somewhat uncomfortable silence until Emma asked about Henry and if she could take him in the afternoon to show him the new place. The mention of the apartment started up their conversation, Regina wrangling out an invitation for herself as well, before they went on different topics in their talks, spending their time until the meeting in friendly chat and meal. When the time came for them to go down, Emma waited for the Mayor to pick up her files, escorting her down. Only the council people and the representatives of town services were present in the Hall, as it was closed for public. Regina had told her only minutes before that such measure had been necessary because most of the town would have come and disrupted the much urgent meeting with their grievances regarding the troubles that the town seemed to face on regular bases. While their concerns were valid, the Mayor had explained, they did not have time to waste it on such matters before allocution of budget and other urgent town business. The public meeting was scheduled for the weekend, making sure that all interested parties could attend.

Emma agreed wholeheartedly, remembering the last meeting and how quickly it had turned into a disgruntled mob. Even now, the consummate professionals of the town felt the need to ask Emma of her progress with the new danger to the town's people, despite Regina proclaiming the meeting in session. When the blonde only noted that the Sheriff's office was working diligently on the case, gesturing toward the Mayor to continue the others settled down, finally ready to move with their agenda. And, despite Emma's best efforts, she found her attention waning around the hour mark into the session, the monotonous droning about which department needed more or less funding and why losing its appeal rather quickly. The blonde understood why she needed to be there, as she was the Sheriff, but she could have done without all the jabbering about the importance of keeping the Storybrooke Park fauna protected from the sudden waves of frost, and the twenty minutes of it no less. The only thing that stopped her from taking out her phone in order to play a game or two to pass the time was the feeling of being watched, and, as there was only one person who had the vantage point to do so, Emma had a feeling that Regina would mind if the resident Sheriff was not paying attention. Not only that, the blonde did not want to show any kind of disrespect toward her, dare she say it, friend, as people looked up to her to guide them in their behavior toward the Mayor, and Emma wanted them to respect and eventually appreciate Regina as the good leader and ruler she was.

"The next order of business is the Sheriff's department," Regina suddenly spoke as she lifted a page from the folder in front of her, her eyes shortly connecting with the surprised green ones. "Sheriff Swan, what I have here is your predecessor's statement telling that the department is in need of two deputies, as you need someone to cover the night shift. Do you agree with it?" Regina looked toward Emma, hoping that the blonde was not too stunned to play along. David had nothing to do with it, Regina had written it herself the minute she had gotten off the phone with Emma that morning, and in surprise of Emma's arrival, she had forgotten to mention it to the Sheriff beforehand.

The Savior rose to her feet, as she tried to read the woman sitting in the front. Her father would have mentioned if he had written such a thing, even only in passing, but Emma had a feeling this was Regina's kind of intervention, and deciding to pretend like she had the full knowledge of it, the blonde nodded. "Yes, Madam Mayor." The second she spoke Emma saw relief flash in the dark eyes focused on her, and she was glad for making the right choice. It did not matter that she still didn't know what this was about but that moment of reprieve visible in Regina's eyes was worth much more to her.

"As the Sheriff's department is so intricately involved in all aspects of life in our town, I hereby move for allocution of additional funds for Sheriff Swan's office, at least for the time being. All in favor?"

Still on her feet, Emma heard almost every council member say Aye, making Regina declare the motion passed, before closing down the meeting as the Sheriff's office had just received the last bit of the available money in that quarter's budget. Not a minute later the Mayor dismissed the meeting, scheduling the next one for the following Sunday at two o'clock in the afternoon. As soon as the gavel hit the desk, Emma rushed toward the front, standing beside the brunette collecting the papers.

"What was that all about?" Emma asked softly, mindful of the still lingering people in the Town Hall. Regina only glanced toward the Sheriff rolling her eyes and walked out, going up the stairs to her office. She heard Emma following her, an irritated huff coming from behind her that made her smirk. The minute the blonde passed through the door, closing it behind her Regina turned, dropping the folder on her desk. "You could've warned me, at least. I know David had nothing to do with this." The Savior spoke gently, her hands going into the back pockets of her new jeans. The move drew Regina's eyes down and with surprise she noted that the blonde was not in one of her skin tight pants, but in somewhat looser cut of more durable denim that was tucked into an almost knee high hard leather boots. As her eyes flowed up, the brunette noted that Emma wore a white shirt with barely noticeable breast pockets, making Emma appear rather business casual, and rather sexy, especially followed with that damn jacket. When her eyes connected with the smirking green ones, she looked slightly away, hoping that she wasn't blushing, for it would not do at all for Emma to know what power she held.

"I forgot," Regina stated simply in answer to the Sheriff's complaint. Taking her seat at her desk, Regina looked up at the woman that simply followed her around the desk and leaned against it, the smirk still evident on Emma's lips. "May I offer a suggestion?"

"Never stopped you before," the blonde remarked with a nod. "What's on your mind?"

"About the budget…"

"Wait, you gave me the money and now you want to tell me how to spend it?" Emma shook her head in amusement having had a feeling that might happen for it was Regina after all. "Shoot," she added.

"It is only a suggestion, Sheriff," the Mayor replied huffily, before she placed her palms on her desk, still deliberating if she should proceed with her plan. Biting the bullet, she continued. "Tinker Bell is looking for a job, and I gathered she was helpful during the whole Wicked Witch deal…" She prepared herself for a scoff, remark of nepotism or at least a chuckle, but when nothing of it came her way, she looked up and blinked.

Emma actually considered the idea, seeing Regina's point from many angles. They did need someone to cover the nights, and David already on half-shift was putting, or would put a strain on her, and the green fairy did seem rather happy to be included in policing the town. The spry woman might have been petit but she was a spitball of fire, cheeky and loyal, eager to listen but sassy in her own way. And, this opportunity would give her a way to integrate with the community more fully. "You think she will be good at it?" Emma asked, feeling that the decision had already been made. "Or, this is your way of planting a spy in the Sheriff's office again?" Emma added, narrowing her eyes and crossing her arms at the seated woman, her mouth set in firm expression but the woman almost laughed at Regina's blink of surprise. However, they knew each other too well and the brunette saw the light curve of the lips, betraying the teasing nature of the question.

"It's not like I don't already have one," Regina murmured nonchalantly, before she smiled predatorily at the Sheriff. "I have you reporting to me, don't I?" It was meant as a joke, but Emma's face sobered instantly.

"You do," the blonde spoke earnestly and solemnly, her meaning more transcending than the simple reports on the Sheriff's office. With those two words, she lifted herself from the desk and walked around, shifting her weight uncomfortably. "See you later?" she asked as she walked toward the door, needing to get out before she said something else. Glancing back toward Regina, she saw the confirming nod on the frowning face and with a softly murmured good bye, she left.

Regina looked after the departing woman, her mind stuck.  _What the hell had just happened_?


	18. Chapter 18

The rest of the day passed quickly as Regina had to deal with the memos from the meeting, and Henry had a lot of homework to catch up with. He had come to her office after school, immediately placing himself at the table, where his blonde mother had been sitting only hours before, opening his books and working sheets. Regina had to smile at his diligence and eagerness to complete his school assignments.

After he was finished, he waited for her workload to lighten before starting a conversation, mentioning that he had heard in the school about his teacher being in the accident. Regina confirmed it gently, explaining that the very accident was the reason Emma hadn't been there that morning. She also prepared her son for the worst outcome, as it did not look good for the poor man. Then, as a distraction, the brunette told him that Emma had found a place to live in and that they were invited that evening. After excusing the blonde for not telling him earlier, Regina picked her things, finishing up her work, guiding him out. They stopped by Granny's to buy a pie, as well as to get directions toward Emma's new place, as Regina knew where the building was but she didn't know about the back door.

With all the distractions, obligations and side trips done, both mother and son found themselves knocking on the metal door of the building at the address Emma had given Regina at half past six, looking around the unimpressive brick walls, at one corner covered with what someone might have considered a street art. The street was quiet, no cars passing by, and if she tried, Regina could hear the traffic from the Main Street. Until she heard stomping behind the door and soon enough, their host for the evening opened it, appearing somewhat rattled.

"Uh, sorry, got a situation in the kitchen," Emma spoke, brushing off the flour from her cheek, before she stepped back and gestured them in. "I'll give you the tour in just a bit, but I have to get up there for a moment," she added closing the door and climbing the stairs, obviously expecting the guest to go up after her. Regina let Henry follow the blonde while she looked around, still on the lower half of the stairs. The Sheriff had turned on just the lights over the sturdy mixed metal and wood stairs, the wood placed over the iron steps to absorb the sound, making it look better and away from the industrial fashion, and Regina could not see into the darkness covering the ground floor but she could guess it was empty. As she went up, she heard Henry exclaim with excitement over something, and she smiled, entering through another door, this one made of hard wood and painted dark red. And the minute she looked away from the entrance, where she had left her coat and purse, she gasped at the incredibly vast space before her, so tastefully filled with furniture. She understood Henry's enthusiasm perfectly as the place was magnificent, especially with those wide windows that caught a glimpse on the Main Street, including the Clock Tower and the evening sky. In the part she guessed was serving as the living room a fireplace was on, giving a soft warm glow to the space, and she followed the voices into the kitchen Regina recognized from the mirror, but still was impressed with seeing it now fully.

"Emma made pizza!" Henry said happily from his perch at the counter, his knees on the chair while his elbows were on the marble of the counter, as he smiled to both of his mothers.

"Well, we brought Granny's cherry pie," Regina spoke, lifting her offering in show as she watched the blonde cut the product of her work. Emma smiled and pointed toward the fridge, as she went on placing the pieces on already prepared plates.

"Alright, I thought we would eat first then I would show you around…"

"You are the host," Regina said, but her smile showed her agreement to the plan. She looked over Emma and smiled at how the other woman seemed frazzled and in a hurry, doing several things at once – talking with Henry about his school, moving the food, grabbing the drinks out of the fridge, all the while being careful not to stain her clothes. When the blonde seemed to place a bottle of soda and glasses in the same hand, Regina swooped in relieving her of those, giving them to Henry, as she picked up the bottle of California Zinfandel, already open to let it breathe. Again astonished by the perfectly combined wine, Regina shook her head hiding her delight when Emma chuckled at her expression, knowing she had done well.

"All right, here we are," Emma announced as she gestured to the others to sit down at the dining table, everything they might need already brought out. "Enjoy," the blonde added as she poured the wine.

As soon as they finished with their meal, Henry jumped up to his feet, eager to start his grand tour, his excitement making him seem as a young child, pulling Emma's hand as she smiled indulgently at him, taking her glass with her, throwing a glance at Regina to follow them, not able to wait for the brunette as the boy went back to the entrance, wanting a 'proper tour'. Turning all the lights on, the blonde started explaining the idea behind the groups of furniture, telling that the huge amount of it had been already there, under the white sheets and plastic covers. The two women watched the teenager go to every corner, judging everything separately, proudly giving his nod to the most of the things there. He whistled at the gaming system placed in the game part, the chairs easily maneuverable over the bare floor to be placed in front of the screen. Because of his particular examination, Henry needed more than two hours to see the lower part of the duplex, the half an hour of those spent by the windows, trying to see the Mayoral Manor from there. By the time Emma was able to show them the upper floor, he was wiped, and finding the room Emma had left to be his own, he climbed into bed, just taking off his sweater and sneakers, having obtained Regina's permission to go to sleep.

Leaving the exhausted boy in his room, Emma pulled Regina toward the inner terrace, enjoying her reaction at the view that opened from there. "This is amazing place," the brunette murmured as she leaned against the wall, looking at Emma who stood against the railing. Seeing her worried look as the blonde glanced toward the boy's room, the Mayor reached for the uncovered forearm closest to her in comfort. "He had a lot of work today, trying to finish all of his homework and assignments as quickly as he could." She was quite sure that if she had not had such a great time, or drank a second glass of the wine, she wouldn't have reached for Emma, but the warm feeling that she had been feeling whenever around the Sheriff these last several days had only enticed her to act on her willingness to ease the frown on the already too much troubled Savior. The second their skin connected, the brunette felt Emma falter and it only fed her predatorily instincts telling her to seize the opportunity to submit the blonde to her will, but she resisted – having too much respect for the Sheriff, so she only patted the arm beneath her fingers, hiding her face behind the almost empty glass.

"I should leave," she spoke, suddenly feeling trapped in the corner, with the blonde so close to her. She did not feel threatened, no what she felt was something far more dangerous, at least when it came to her history and she needed to thread carefully, her impulsive and destructive compulsion under much needed control. She knew beyond shadow of a doubt that Emma loved her, and that the noble Savior would subjugate her own needs to fulfill her every whim, however she didn't know – or, more precise, she ignored the feelings the blonde invoked in her, along with incredible sense of safety that engulfed her like a shroud whenever she was near Emma, regardless of what they were doing, not ready to admit anything regarding her own battered heart.

"Do you have to?" the blonde spoke quietly, her eyes shining in the soft overhead light, feeling the undercurrent between them, having finally accepted that it hadn't been her imagination and that they did have chemistry that went beyond animosity. "After all, I do have guest bedrooms, as well," she added, her words almost replica of those Regina had spoken the night before.

"Emma," Regina started gently, but the blonde interrupted.

"And, you haven't seen the whole place yet. There are another set of stairs, and the master bath, you wouldn't believe how awesome it is. It has both the shower cubicle and a bath tub the size of a freaking pool." Emma pushed away from the railing, gesturing toward the bathroom, and the back side windows, looking into the forest, aware that she was rumbling, having cut off Regina, unwilling to hear any kind of explanation or excuse. However, she knew better and gathering her strength, or more likely her stubbornness and turned toward the brunette. "I understand that…" she started but suddenly there was a warm body in her path, Regina having come closer to her while she had been talking about the place. Startled by the closeness, Emma stumbled and if not for the brunette's quick reflexes she would have bowled them both down.

"I guess you could show me your bedroom," Regina said gently, clearly aware how her words could be, and most probably were taken as by the teasing smirk playing on her lips. "You need to lie down before you hurt yourself, or me."

"I am not drunk," the Sheriff complained, her whine sounding almost childish as she traipsed to her room, leaving the empty glass in her hand on the small night table beside her bed.

"I know you aren't, but Emma, you haven't been sleeping for days, and this morning…" Pushing the reluctant blonde to sit on the covers, she sat beside her, trying to reason with the Savior, her worry about the woman coming forth with the loss of balance Emma had experienced. Regina had known that it had been drizzling during the night, with temperatures dipping low, and with the Sheriff being out for most of it, after getting soaked the day before… If it was anyone else, the brunette knew that they would be spending the day in bed, most likely suffering from a cold or something similar. And, if Emma continued to push herself, the sickness was inevitable. "I pushed for a second deputy for a reason," Regina spoke forcefully, allowing Emma to see the concern in her eyes, knowing that it would be the only way to get the Sheriff to comply.

"You wanted to give Tink a job," Emma jibed back moodily, however she did undo her boots and pulled herself higher on the bed, accepting a throw over her body. "I talked to her today," she added in more conversational manner, patting the spot beside her, inviting the woman to join her. She watched Regina consider it before a light shrug passed over her frame and the woman took off her high heel boots and sat beside Emma, crossing her dress pants covered legs at the ankles. "She is thrilled with the opportunity," the blonde spoke softly. "Tomorrow, I am going to show her around and she will start officially on Monday, if she passes the qualifications."

"I know, she called to tell me," Regina said with a gentle smile, remembering that phone conversation. Even Henry had chuckled at the ecstatic shout coming off from the receiver while the fairy had spoken of Emma's offer. The silence fell on them, but it wasn't an uncomfortable one. Rather, Regina would characterize it as nice and soothing, as each woman sank into her own thoughts about the past.

"I am sorry," Emma spoke after a while, breaking the hush of the room with her earnest and sorrowful voice. The green eyes focused onto the brown ones, the light making them seem moist, as the blonde was turned toward Regina but not moving toward her.

"Emma, please, enough," Regina replied tiredly with a sigh. "We've been through this before."

"I can never apologize enough," the whisper came from Emma.

"It doesn't mean you have to keep trying."

"It is exactly what it means. I won't stop until I finally find a way to make it up to you." The stubborn edge in the tired officer's voice was something that Regina admired more often than not, but that evening it annoyed her beyond any reason. "There is something…"

"Emma, I don't want to hear it."

"But…"

"No, no more," Regina snapped, turning toward the blonde, her posture suddenly appearing both threatening and desperate at the same time. "Don't you see? Every time you bring it up, I remember the very moment you keep apologizing for. And, I don't need to be reminded of it every time you feel overwhelming guilt, Emma. I know you are sorry, you are a good person and you never meant to hurt me. I know all that. Believe me, I know."

"I'm not a good person," Emma murmured weakly and it was the broken tone of the confession that brought Regina to tears as she already knew what the blonde had meant. Reaching for the pale face in front of her, the Mayor leaned over the tortured Savior and made Emma look up into her eyes.

"Listen to me carefully, Sheriff Swan. Through these years you have been my sole supporter in my quest for redemption, my guide and an ideal I looked up to, and if you mention this to anyone I will gladly sacrifice all the good work I have done and destroy you." Interjecting the serious statement with that barely mocking threat, Regina continued. "Henry taught me a lot about love and sacrifice, but it was you who had my back most of the time. It was you who showed me that I could be good and redeem myself, not only for Henry but for myself as well. It was you who taught me that I am not alone, and that everyone deserves a chance. You, Emma, were the one to teach me how to be good." The brunette saw the impact her words were making on the woman captivated in her arms, tears sliding down her cheeks as she waited for more, not daring to interrupt, as it would break the spell – and she had never seen Regina so vulnerable. "What do you think how it makes me feel when the paragon of good doubts herself? If you are not good, and you are the White Knight, what hope is there for me? If you fall, who is there to save me?" Then, Regina wiped Emma's tears disregarding her own. The heaviness in the air reminded her of the day she had nulled the curse, the day when she had tried to amend for her crimes by letting Emma have most of her life with Henry, and have her own family and love. But, now she understood that it hadn't been only penance that guided her gift, but care and love, not only for Henry, but for the blonde herself as well. "Let me help you, as you did for me."

"We've changed. Both of us." Emma's broken whisper barely intruded in their moment.

"Emma, I know there are some secrets you keep, and I know that the past is extremely complicated with us, especially with addition of your parents, but you need to know that you are good. Better than just good. Your heart is pure."

"Can you check?" Suddenly Emma asked, bringing one of Regina's hands to her chest, her implied request clear. The former Evil Queen pulled her arm away as if she was burned, her disbelief quickly turning to anger, as she felt her fury mount and ready to strike – but then she saw the blonde flinch and then just as fast, her anger morphed into understanding, as she saw the barely hidden fear in Emma's eyes, fear not of her but of what might be inside. Shaking her head, Regina did not dignify the request with verbal response, her hand reaching for one of Emma's, holding it firmly as she made herself more comfortable on the bed, accepting the fact that she was not going anywhere that night. She knew where the path made of self-doubts and recriminations led, especially if followed by extreme guilt, and she wasn't going to let Emma go down on it, no matter if it was the blonde's own fault. "I'm sorry, I didn't think," the Savior spoke after several minutes.

"That seems to be a theme for the evening, yes."

"I just thought that I must have earned a black spot for sure," Emma said as she tried to explain the reasoning behind her ill devised request for dark magic. "I mean, I did split two soul mates," she added weakly.

Regina closed her eyes at that, not delighted that the blonde had heard about that, but with a small town like Storybrooke, it was inevitable. And, instead of trying to dissuade Emma from believing that her act had earned her a portion of darkness, she asked a question that she had tried to answer in New York, on that ill-fated walk into the Alphabet City. "What does it mean?"

"What?" Emma asked, not following.

"Soul mates. What are they to each other? Are they supposed to be lovers, or just near each other? In Enchanted Forest, we used to think True Love was such a clear cut – but you and I have that particular connection with Henry, and I don't have the excuse of being made of True Love for it to work."

"Wait, what are you saying?" Emma suddenly felt very awake, the actual topic making her alert at once.

"When Tink showed me to my soul mate, I thought it meant she was leading me to my True Love, and because I wasn't ready to give up Daniel I didn't get to meet Robin then. But, if Henry is my True Love, what does being a soul mate actually mean, in practical sense?" Regina looked at Emma, her question actually a call for discussion, not a rhetorical one.

"In this world, soulmates have a broad specter of meaning ranging from friendship, sexual affinity to lifelong romantic partner…" Emma added absently as she resettled into more comfortable position to be able to look at Regina without a creek in her neck.

The Mayor smirked at the blonde as soon as the words reached her. "You looked it up, didn't you?" The blush that suddenly covered the pale skin was the answer enough. "But, look at it this way. Tink was never supposed to help me and show me Robin. She was specifically under orders not to. And, if I hadn't known about it, I sincerely doubt I would meet him before I captured Marian, and executed her for hiding Snow, just like I hadn't, even with Tink's intervention. Honestly, if I didn't know about it, I doubt I would ever pursue anything with him, regardless of how I might have felt, and how much I trusted him."

"So, it's like a self-fulfilling prophesy?" Emma considered it, along what she knew about the situation. "Did you trust him because you knew he was your soulmate, or you knew he was your soulmate because you trusted him?"

"I don't know. In the Enchanted Forest I barely tolerated him, but eventually I have grown to respect him, however Roland had a lot to do with it. Nearly from the start I saw him as a father and with me missing Henry so strongly…" Regina broke off, her throat closing up at the memory, despite the fact the boy was only a room over, and that the year of exile was over. Gently, a hand squeezed her fingers in support, and the brunette looked into the understanding green eyes. "You know, he actually reminded me a lot of you. The self-satisfied outlaw turned hero with jauntiness and crassness who enjoyed needling me and going against my directions far too much."

"Yes, I can see the similarities," Emma groused sarcastically, making Regina snort in response. "What about here?"

"Here, I saw the tattoo barely five minutes after I met him. Again, he was annoying me until I saw it. Then, Tinker Bell was on my case every time we would meet, and he seemed to be persistently around, even when I asked you all for space."

"So, he wore you down, so you started dating him?"

Regina cocked her head at the question, the jealousy not as hidden as Emma believed in it. "Tell me, how is your situation with Hook any different?"

Emma had a ready answer but she couldn't say it, not without exposing herself to the woman who was the object of her love and devotion. Knowing that whatever she managed to say, it would seem pointless and half witted, so she just kept quiet, willingly losing the argument over admitting her feelings. But the knowing look in Regina's eyes made her think that somehow she had already shown her deepest secret with the brunette and that keeping silence on the topic helped no one, but she was stubborn enough to hold her tongue just in spite. Not long after that Emma looked away, slinking down the bed, getting into more prone position, feeling her weariness return with a vengeance.

Deliberately ignoring Emma's silence, Regina continued. "If we were meant to be together, than all the meddling would not keep us apart – not Blue, or Marian, or even you. So, I think perhaps we are soulmates in some other way. I suppose we have to be, as I refuse to come between him and his wife." Then, Regina glanced at Emma and smiled at the serene look on the Savior's face, relaxed in sleep as she breathed deeply, feeling loving warmth engulfing her at the sight. Using her finger to move a loose strand of blonde hair from Emma's cheek, the Mayor allowed affection toward the woman to surface, as she didn't have to hide it from the sleeping woman. "And, I think one stubbornly irritating and devoted idiot in this family is enough for me," she whispered before she followed the impulse rising in her and kissed the forehead before her, before she moved away, covering the blonde with the blanket fully. "Good night, Savior," Regina added, her fingers going through the blonde tresses unconsciously as she watched the sharp lines of Emma's face. Then, when she realized what she was doing, the brunette vanished in the cloud of purple mist, not seeing the thoughtful look following her disappearance before the Sheriff sank into sleep, soothed beyond measure with the simple gesture of her love.


	19. Chapter 19

It was Sunday, around noon when a knock interrupted Regina from her musing as she was sitting in her chair and looking through her window at her cherished apple tree, bathed in midday Sun, its leaves shining in the warm rays of light, making the Honey crisp seem magical. She had been lost in thought, having finished all she had been needing to do for the afternoon town meeting, along with the remaining town business from that week, finding herself with a bit of loose time. Her first thought had been to call Henry, but he was spending his daytime with the Sheriff, the first time since they had gotten back in Storybrooke, and Regina didn't want to intrude, sensing that the blonde needed it, especially after a blow up fight from the night before at the Charming residence she had witnessed, having been invited by the new mother.

It had started with Mary Margaret's remark about Emma's reluctance to spend much time with Neal, then she went on to bring Hook into the mix, noting how the blonde needed a strong man by her side, and then she would have her happy ending. Regina had visibly cringed at the stricken look in Emma's eyes before it had morphed into something completely different, much darker and vicious. Taking the newborn upstairs, along with Henry, as she had had a feeling that things would get bad rather quickly, she had placed a muffling spell around the room, but not soon enough to prevent the boys from hearing Emma's explosion, the eruption Regina had known had been long in the making.

The two women had had their own share of awkward moments after the dinner at Emma's place, but their silent agreement had been to ignore it for the moment, not to make anything out of their evening yet. However, it had, accumulated with all other instances of shared bonding they had had experienced in New York, forced a fundamental change in their relationship, the tentative friendship and support growing into something, well, more, with romantic overtures. The trust Regina had had in Emma had been returning, and it had enriched their communication, making them able to sometimes convey an idea or a question with only a glance, or a motion. They had also noticed that they had a lot of inside jokes, only a few of them regarding Henry, and it had made them feel immeasurably closer to each other, like the one Emma had cracked about Regina taking on more sexy daredevil style in clothes – with the leather jacket of all things, saying that Emma might have gotten her high class sense of style and new knowledge about cooking from the implanted memories, but it seemed that Regina had taken something in return. The truth was that Regina had dropped the casual style right after the evening at Granny's, needing her Mayoral persona to be perfect, as it had been the only thing keeping her together, aside Henry.

So, when Emma had entered her former room to find Regina holding the children in her calming embrace, it had come as no surprise that the blonde had knelt beside the bed, her hands placed on Henry's and Regina's knees, her eyes open and vulnerable in ways no other human being had ever seen them – not since she had been a very young child, needing the comfort of feeling them close. "I need to leave," the blonde had spoken softly, as her eyes had darted toward Henry in askance. "I can't stay here," the woman continued, her voice cracking with the emotions, her body vibrating in anger and heartache. It had been then when Regina had felt it again. The magic. The magic Emma had not even been aware of, as it hadn't been hers that she had managed to siphon, but Regina's. And it had been then when the brunette had understood the magnitude of that particular event, all the mumblings and veiled hints from her former mentor finally making sense.

Cutting off the flow of her power, lest Emma's unstable emotions do something, Regina had nodded in understanding. "Do you need something?" she had asked softly, knowing the answer before the blonde had spoken it herself.

"Just the time to calm down," the Sheriff had said as she had lifted her body from the floor, paying no heed to her aching knees as she had taken her son into her arms, hugging him fiercely. "I'm sorry," she had whispered into his hair, before she had taken him by his shoulders, gently pushing him away. "I'll see you tomorrow morning. You can come by my place." After silently checking with Regina if it had been alright, she had kissed the boy's forehead and had squeezed Regina's shoulder in thanks before she had disappeared in the flurry of drained and unnerved motion, leaving them to deal with contrite parents.

As the rap of someone's knuckles brought her out of her remembrance, Regina swiveled in her chair, affixing more appropriate Mayoral poise at her desk, not knowing who it was behind the closed door of her office, as she didn't have any appointments. Calling out her permission to enter, she took one of random papers and her fountain pen, pretending to be busy, needing an excuse ready, especially if it was one of the council men hounding her about revenue return motion she had denied on the last meeting. But, she lowered both of her hands in surprise when she saw who it was to enter, the rustle of paper and the clank of the pen loud in the resulting silence.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, as she watched her visitor close the door behind him, ignoring the barely there jolt of happiness that passed through her at the view of him, followed immediately by overbearing sadness, that to her relief didn't feel as heavy as it had before.

"I think we need to talk," Robin spoke as he crossed the length of the office, taking a seat in front of her desk, placing his leg onto his knee, as his eyes passed over her, hungrily taking in every little detail, not even bothering to hide the scrutiny. He wasn't leering, he was interested in Regina's well-being, sharing in the guilt and regret for the way the things between them ended – and ended they had the second Regina had realized that Marian was his wife, and Roland's mother. But, it did not make all the feelings go away. However, he had noticed a light shift in the woman before him since she had returned from her trip with her son and the Savior. She seemed more content and less burdened by the betrayal and devastation of the Charming's reveal night, spending her time with Henry, the Charmings, the fairy and even the blonde Sheriff, and often without Henry by their side, as they would share lunch or coffee at Granny's. It had come as a surprise to him that Regina would enjoy, even tolerate, Emma's presence so soon, and with that thought he had been forced to realize that he didn't know her very well, that he had underestimated her goodness and the bond she had had with the Savior, making him feel even worse about the situation.

"There is nothing to talk about. You should go to your family." Regina couldn't help but snap at the man, unnerved by his daring to pursue her, even after all the public show downs his wife had instigated.

"Don't you think we should try to resolve our situation?" the thief spoke gently, not moving from his seat. "You are the Mayor, I am now part of this community, and eventually we would be forced to share a room. As the matter of fact, we will share one in two hours. I know there can be nothing between us, now that Marian is here, but can we at least try something else?"

"What do you suggest?" Regina spoke tiredly, as she leaned away from the desk, seeing his point. The Merry Men would be considered as errand boys, just like the dwarves, in the defense of the town, and Regina knew that having their impossible situation unresolved might hurt the town.

"I was hoping you had an idea," Robin admitted sheepishly, not believing that the proud woman would yield so quickly. When Regina shook her head with a barely heard snort, he scratched at his beard and tried to think up a way that would make if for them to be alright with working together on the safety of the town. Then, an idea came to him, the one he had been trying so hard to push it out of his mind, not wanting to believe it, but now it seemed as a solution. Not a perfect one, not the one he would particularly like, but one, nonetheless. "I saw you with the Sheriff at the diner the other day," he started with a seemingly unrelated topic, making Regina's eyes snap to his in dubious inquiry. Keeping their gaze connected, he allowed the quiet to envelop them, making his next question more poignant. "How long have you been in love with her?"

"What?!" Regina screeched, jumping off the chair in need to step back, away from the intrusive question, from his assured tone, from the truth she had been hiding from. But before she could even deny it, before she could even think of a reason why that was impossible, she felt the weight of his persistent and knowing eyes on her and suddenly her defensive energy that fueled her reaction crumbled unto itself, leaving her oddly empty and filled at the same time, genuinely tired from wrestling with her emotions. She glanced back at the man and seeing his sad but accepting eyes, she sighed heavily as she leaned against her window with her shoulder, turning her head to look down at the scarred tree. "I don't know," she spoke softly at last. Hearing the leather chair creak under the shift of the man's weight and next, the light footsteps over the marble floor coming closer to her, she waited until he was right beside her, also leaning on the window. From the start they had had an easy nonverbal rapport, and now it served as a source of great strength for Regina, making it easier for her to talk to him. It made her believe that the soulmates thing was indeed true, but not in the way everyone supposed. What if he was her mate, her friend, someone to trust and to keep her honest and someone who was not part of her family, no matter how convoluted Henry's family tree was getting? Someone to have her back, someone other than Emma? Maybe she had confused trust, affection and comfort with something that could grow into love?

"You must have some idea, at least," he murmured gently after a while, letting her choose the pace of the conversation. Luckily he had come earlier than he had planned, giving them enough time to really talk before they needed to leave for the Town Hall.

"Since beginning we had this… thing… between us. We were always pushing each other, demanding and unyielding. She was always in my face, testing me, challenging me, making me work for my victories. She made me feel purposeful and alive after a long time, something that even Henry could not do fully." Regina smiled and gestured toward her tree, showing her ex a place that once a branch had used to be, now only a scarred thump on the apple tree remaining. "She did that after I had won one of the first battles with her. And, even though I was beyond furious, willing to murder her on the spot, I also felt relief. Finally, something real and demanding was happening in my life, something I could invest my time, wits and emotions in. Something that got my blood pumping, adrenalin going, that tested me on every step of the way."

"Like the time with Zelena at your castle," Robin added, seeing the parallel. He also noticed how the brown eyes turned to caramel and glowed as she remembered that part of her life.

"Similar," Regina agreed with a barely there nod, her eyes darting toward his face as she tried to force down the shy smile that appeared in the corner of her lips. "Later, when the curse broke, she was the only one who stood up for me, the only one who tried to understand my side of the story. She was the only one who believed me, who believed in me. And, having that after so many years of scorn and fear, it is a powerful feeling."

Robin reached out and placed his hand onto the brunette's shoulder, squeezing it gently in understanding and support. With additional pat down her upper arm he withdrew the palm, not willing to overstep newly established propriety boundaries, and crossed his arms. "In the Enchanted Forest, it wasn't only Henry that you were missing," he thought back to his memories of their conversation in the lowest tunnels and the crypt of the castle. "I knew it was something else, because of the scorn you always had for Snow's talks of family and faith. I mean, she was missing a child as well, but it was like you didn't even acknowledge that."

"The thing about Snow is that she is always so sickeningly upbeat and it grates, especially when she comes to you all understanding and sympathetic, trying to get you to socialize more as if it would ease your pain, all the while parading her husband and pregnant belly. You can see why my eyes were stuck in a permanent eye roll. And, I had more important business than playing nice with the other royals." Regina said with a scoff, residual resentment evident in her voice. "But, at moments it seemed like the threat the Wicked Witch presented was a joke to them. With David traipsing in the woods in the middle of the night, alone, and Snow wanting to announce her pregnancy, it is a wonder we are all alive." She pushed away from the window and walked by him to the sitting area of her office, looking at the clock. They still had time, and she wasn't going to spend it standing, especially not in the shoes she was wearing. A simple glance in his direction was all the invitation to join her she extended, as she leaned back, letting him direct their conversation further.

"And, now, how you feel about Emma now?" Robin asked, wanting to keep her talking, having missed the ease of their conversation and time spent together in such intimate settings, but this time he felt like her friend, wanting to comfort her rather than kiss her. He was an honorable man, and he didn't lie to himself, he knew he wanted to kiss her, badly, but then it was his honor stopping him, and his decision to make this – whatever that was – work, and if being a friend was the only position he could have in her life, he would take it.

"I am still deliberating between strangling her and embracing her," the brunette said with a chuckle. "There is just too much between us to simply cut her off, and I have accepted from the moment the curse broke, she is a vital part of my life." She looked up with gentle amazement in her eyes as she smiled at Robin. "Did you know that we moved the Moon together? Well, not literally, but it was an extremely extraordinary piece of magic that we managed to do together. And, we did it before, with the trigger diamond and the portal hat. I always thought that it was incredible and impossible that we could do it. But, our relationship was extraordinary – we were fated to be enemies, and yet we became friends. When she could step aside and let the rabble kill me, she saved me, and then when I could just stand back, I saved her and Snow. She trusted me when no one did, and I believed in her when even she didn't. We balance each other out in a way." She didn't want to talk about unmaking of the curse as no one could understand the sacrifice she had offered that day but Emma, not even Snow who had somewhat similar experience. No one but the blonde could fully appreciate the gift and the meaning behind it of the memories she had bestowed on both Henry and Emma, and talking about it to someone else would only demean the sacrifice. And she had already talked to the blonde Sheriff about it, the Savior bringing it up several days before. Emma had thanked her for the memories and acknowledged her way of restitution and a way of apology, and thanking her profusely for letting them share Henry's childhood in such way. Seeing that the blonde had understood the reasoning behind such gesture, Regina did not need to rehash it with anyone else.

"And, you two have a son together."

"Yes, and he has so much of our mannerisms that sometimes I even think we made him together," Regina said, letting amusement tinge her voice as she thought about her son. "Loving him was one of the reasons I couldn't hate her fully, as they share so much, and in a way hating her, for me meant hating at least a little bit of him and I could never do that. They have the same eyes, crinkling in laughter in the same way, showing off the defiant spark… He inherited Emma's smile, her frown and her appetite…"

"Do you plan on telling her?" Robin wasn't blind and he had seen Emma's love for the Mayor, and when he had realized the magnitude of it, he had been surprised he had not seen it sooner, but he hadn't known the Savior well. What still continued to baffle him was that no one else seemed aware of the fact. Well, all apart from Regina and the young werewolf at the diner, but he had a feeling that she was privy to most of the town's saucy secrets given her nature and abilities. Many a joke had his men cracked at the fact that the inn was managed by two werewolves, with their enhanced hearing.

Regina only shrugged her shoulders as she pursed her lips, not comfortable with the question he had asked, because it was him who asked, among other things. There still was the fact that whenever she was in a happy relationship something came along to ruin it, so she refrained from commenting on it at all.

Again, it was a knock that interrupted the silence, and this time the door opened without Regina's permission. It was Henry that entered first, closely followed by Emma who hesitated by the door seeing another person in the office. "Uh, sorry?" she said apologetically as she watched Robin jump to his feet, barely succeeding in curbing her reaction at seeing him, knowing she had no right to meddle or complain.

"It's all right, dear." Regina rose from the sofa and pressed down her dress, looking for wrinkles on it. Then she stepped toward her son, her hand going to his ruffled hair, greeting him with a light kiss on his forehead. "We're done," she added, her eyes directed into the apprehensive green ones, and she knew that Emma would understand all the implied layers of her statement, the gentling of those eyes proving her right.

Emma then turned toward the man standing still beside the sofa. "John is looking for you downstairs," she spoke helpfully, and almost smiled at the comical expression passing over his face, the wide eyes and anxiety making him seem more like a boy, despite the gruff. With a nod, he left them alone, murmuring about talking later as he rushed out. Shaking her head after him, Emma looked back to the woman in front of her, smiling as she saw Henry hugging her. "How are you?" she asked softly, her palms going to Regina's shoulders. But the woman only tilted her head in so-and-so motion, as her chocolate eyes portrayed the multitude of emotions swirling in her. It reminded Emma so much of the time she had proclaimed knowing Regina in this very office, when they had been trying to replicate the memory potion, and just as then, Emma offered a heartening smile, giving the woman a minute to collect herself before guiding her and her son out of the office, as the Town meeting was about to start, and it would not do if both the Mayor and the Sheriff, the resident, well, Saviors, were late to it.


	20. Chapter 20

The meeting passed in expecting manner, Regina concluded as she accepted coffee from Emma who sat down beside on the couch, as they watched Mary Margaret talk to Henry while David was murmuring something to the infant in his arms, standing beside the large window wall of Emma's apartment. It had been Emma's idea to redo the family dinner, this time in her place, and so far it was going well, as they had already gone through the meal part, now enjoying a quiet evening.

"What are you thinking about?" she heard the Savior whisper from her side and she smiled into the cup, taking a sip of the coffee prepared exactly the way she liked. "Gold's dramatically late entrance, or Marian being silenced by Aurora?" Rumplestiltskin had been late, pushing open the door of the Hall, right in the middle of Regina's speech explaining the purpose of the meeting, and with 'Carry on, dearie' he slinked into a seat saved for him by his beautiful wife. And the young princess, newly turned mother, had been feeling her post pregnancy hormones acutely, not being able to stop herself from jumping to Regina's defense when the newest addition to their town grumbled along the Mayor's speech, her contemptuous and mocking comments heard by all sitting in the nearby pews, not heeding her husband's tries to silence her. The princess had torn into the surprised woman to stop behaving like a spoiled child in the middle of a sulking tantrum, and to actually use her eyes and see the former Evil Queen for the heroic part of their community that she was. It hadn't helped the matters at all the joyous whoop that Emma had let out at the height of the shouting, cheering on the fiery princess, ignoring Regina's and Snow's scandalous looks, with the Mayor going one step further and swiping her in the shoulder, as she had been closer to the blonde. However, Emma had seen the humor shining out from the caramel eyes that had been taking in the picture before them, as several more people joined in, supporting Regina, Eugenia Lucas one of them.

"Doctor Hopper's apology, actually," Regina said, as she pleasantly smiled at Emma's cheeky grin, obviously caused by remembering the support Aurora's speech had brought to Regina.

"Ah, right. That was something." The therapist asked for a word before Regina could even open the meeting and summoning his courage, he referenced the last Town meeting Emma had called forth and apologized for his assumption of the Mayor, before he sat back down, blushing profusely, not even waiting for Regina's response. However, she had addressed him, thanking him for the effort before she had gone on with her already prepared opening speech. Emma had sniggered softly from her place behind Regina, masking it by a fake cough that hadn't fooled the Mayor in front of her, and Regina had glanced back toward her with the warning in her eyes, her reprimand more of habit, than the actual rebuke. "Well, it serves him right. He, of all people, shouldn't jump to conclusions. Especially, after what happened with your mother." Regina only nodded in agreement, sipping her hot coffee, leaning back into the couch, feeling at ease as she glanced toward her son explaining Mary Margaret how to play a game on the X box Emma had somehow managed to get. Returning her eyes toward the blonde beside her she saw the green eyes follow the line of her uncovered neck before closing, as the Savior tried to regain her composure and cool down.

She had changed into the casual clothes, as Emma had dubbed them, after the blonde had invited her to another dinner, happy to get out of her dress. And, it also had made her very delighted to see the way her slim black pants with unavoidable heels, silver gray shirt with moderately deep neckline and the leather jacket captured Emma's eyes, making the blonde mute for quite a while before the poor woman managed to get out a simple 'Come in'. She could've sworn that she had heard the Sheriff whisper 'Wow' behind her back as they had been climbing up the stairs to Emma's place, and just because she had been feeling like it she had thrown a bit of flounce to her hips as she had reached the landing, hearing the blonde miss a step behind her.

Before Regina could tease the Sheriff, the shout from the game section startled them both, and unfortunately for the brunette, the hot coffee in her hand spilled over, ending all over her shirt, the still steaming liquid burning. Regina hissed in pain, relinquishing the cup to Emma who lowered it on the table before helping Regina up and swiftly guiding her to the washroom, instantly dousing the closest towel in the icy water and pressing it under the stained shirt, the coldness of the dripping cloth soothing the sting making Regina gasp. Only after several seconds passed, Emma looked away from her hands holding the towel, having made sure it covered the injured skin , up into the gentle smile on Regina's face as the woman regarded her with amazement and affection as she placed one of her hands over the blonde's. It was then that Emma realized where exactly her hands had been located, and that she had been effectively groping the woman.

"Uh," Emma managed before blushing thoroughly and attempting to step away, realizing how unnecessary her fuss had been, Regina being a magnificent sorceress and quite capable of healing herself, but the gentle hold on her hand prevented her. The brunette regarded her with cautious interest however the woman noticed that the brown eyes were darker, the edge in them portraying familiar hunger. Gasping at the implication of the desire blown pupils, Emma dared not to move lest she broke this illusion where the woman of her dreams was aroused by something she had done.

"Emma," Regina whispered, her voice sounding huskier than ordinary, making Emma's skin erupt in goose bumps from excitement and the brunette smirked at the reaction she had gotten. Lifting her other hand to the blonde's face, she gently palmed the cheek, her thumb going over the sharply defined cheekbone, the sleepless nights leaving their mark on the Sheriff, as she allowed her lips to stretch into a loving smile at Emma. "Don't feel embarrassed for wanting to take my pain away," the brunette whispered kindly before she kissed the blonde's other cheek, ignoring the sizzling air filled with sexual tension between them for the moment, trying to let Emma of the hook, not wanting to make the situation harder. But the minute she made a move to step away, Emma's hands slid down her torso and circled her waist, keeping her in place as she held her in a loose embrace, as the blonde stepped closer, their bodies almost touching.

"That is not all I want to do," the blonde murmured softly as she looked into the caramel eyes, all the teasing of the day breaking her already faltering self-restraint and destroying what was left of her common sense; however, she managed not going further in her advances, not wanting to mess up the steadily progressing closeness between them, fear a very powerful motivator.

"You aren't exactly subtle, dear," Regina replied with understanding, keeping her voice light, despite the fact that she wanted to pin the blonde against the door and claim her. "However…"

"I know," Emma spoke up before Regina had a chance to even say what she wanted, her voice filled with disillusionment, shaking her head before a hand stopped the motion, a glance from the brunette keeping her quiet.

"I don't think you actually do," the older woman tried to reason with Emma but she could see that the walls she had seen lowering in the previous two weeks were going up with the speed of light, thicker than before, as the green eyes closed off, suddenly becoming distant and the hurt she had seen in them not shown any more.

"Look, I get it," the blonde said, her hands pulling away from the woman. "You literally gave him your heart. Then, I screwed up and you can't be with him, but you obviously still have feelings for him." It was a not so veiled reference to the secret meeting Regina had had with Robin before the Hall. "I understand. I really do. It's not like I had any rights…" Emma stepped away, not even able to look at the brunette anymore, her hands going to push her loose hair of her face, inconspicuously trying to wipe the tears that were falling down her face. Filled with self-reproach and spurn, she murmured to herself "This was a pipe dream, anyways." Taking in air in stilted gasps, she tried to stifle the sob that was forcing itself out of her chest, as she felt her heart break under the weight of anguished resignation, humiliation, and loss of what she never had, and reached for the door, intending to leave the small room that felt like a trap, to leave the floor and quite possibly the building, her instinct to run, to cut her losses, stronger than ever. She was a fool to ever believe that a woman like Regina would ever want her, when nobody did, and now… Now, after finally managing to restore at least a bit of their previous friendly relationship, she had to screw it up royally with her hormones and temporary insanity.

Regina knew she needed to do something and do it quickly to fix this disaster that was happening right before her eyes, and this time it was actually her fault, as she had been playing with the sexually frustrated Savior, not fully taking the possible consequences into the account. She had enjoyed the teasing glances, meaningful smirks and gratuitous touches that had no other purpose than to make sure Emma was paying attention to her, particularly because the feeling of being the one that had brought the stubbornly unyielding, mostly unflappable, brazen and brave Savior to a shy but cute mess each time she would do something racy was making her positively giddy and coupled with the appreciation and admiration the blonde bestowed unlimitedly upon her, it made her feel safe and warm, wanted, respected and cherished, young and on top of the world, after a very long time, and the thing was, she wasn't even sure she had ever felt like that, even with Daniel. And, now she had actually made the person who had caused all those wonderful feelings in her, who had given her so much precious gifts in the time she had known her, to implode from the frustration, mixed signals, overflowing emotions and already damaged self-worth. It didn't help that the Savior had thought she was competing with the soulmate hype as well, the cause the blonde had already in advance judged lost.

"Emma, wait," Regina spoke as she placed her hand on the door, stopping it from opening as she also grabbed the blonde's elbow to turn her around but the woman resisted, as her shoulders shook, from silent sobs or chocking breaths, Regina didn't know.

"Please, just let me go," Emma whispered, her voice broken and filled with desperation, the plea cutting through the brunette, forcing her to close her eyes against the flood of tears fighting its way out of her at the pain she could hear in it.

"No," the sorceress said firmly, imbuing as much of her stubbornness in that one word, using it as one of the ways to show Emma that she wasn't going anywhere and that she wouldn't let Emma run, as well. Knowing that her touch would not be accepted, Emma shifting away from her like a cornered animal, Regina only leaned against the door, blocking the only way out. "No, until you listen to me," she added in softer tone, as she watched the blonde move to the opposite corner of the washroom, squaring her shoulders.

"What?" the blonde hissed with coldness, the walls in place and devil-may-care attitude firmly set. She would not show how much this was hurting her, employing her old and mastered methods of survival. Show no weakness, no emotions, hit where it hurts and find a way out. Her hands beside her hips, her feet spread shoulder-wide, she stood in front of Regina, defiant, her face portraying… nothing. "What more do you have to say?" she added distantly, almost like an afterthought, the careless manner of it greatly unnerving the brunette as she had never seen Emma so detached. She had seen her furious, sad, irritated, happy, proud, afraid even, but never this. Never had she faced this icy demeanor from the hot headed blonde, never had seen the empty look in her eyes, never heard such indifference in her voice. And, the rapid change in the atmosphere gave her the metaphorical whiplash.

"You, idiot," Regina murmured with a defeated chuckle, loud enough for Emma to hear her, as she felt her own heart break at the sight. "Are you really that obnoxious, Emma, or the voices in your head are too loud to actually think?" she asked earnestly, not even bothering with the tears coming down her face. She saw the slight frown marring the Savior's face, the only sign of confusion Emma was willing to show. "After everything we've been through, do you really believe I don't care about you?" In the moment she had seen the blonde's walls build up, she had decided to let everything out in the open, as only the absolute truth had a chance of reaching Emma and bringing her back from the self-imposed emotional isolation. "You have always been the only who didn't see me as the Evil Queen, and it was one of many things that made me consider you as someone I can trust. And, yet, you consider me as someone who would play with you, despite the fact that I am aware of your feelings for me? Now you consider me evil?" Regina looked up, her head hitting the wood behind her lightly and closing her eyes, she tried to gather the strength to continue speaking but failing. Her resilient heart wasn't feeling so resilient at the moment…

"No," came the murmured reply from other side of the room, so quiet that Regina believed she had imagined it. Glancing toward the blonde, she saw that Emma's stiff posture was not defiant anymore but fragile, as if a simple touch, or a single word breathed in her direction, would cause her to crumble into million pieces. "I don't think you evil."

Emma saw the pain in Regina's eyes, and teary look the brunette directed at her was the same one she had given her at the town line little more than a year before. The feeling of impending loss so evident in the chocolate orbs was overshadowing everything, even the insecure voices that were demanding of her to get out, move away, run. The woman before her did not look like a queen that she was. She didn't look like the mighty mayor, or like accomplished mother. No, she looked lost and alone, much like Emma had looked most of her childhood. And, that, Emma never wanted to see again, especially not to be the cause of it. Regina's tears were a sobering slap, and with the shock they provided Emma was able to think and see the situation for what it was, a huge misunderstanding blown out of proportion with her own uncertainties and a life time of rejection forming a knee jerk reaction in her. "I think you are amazing," Emma whispered softly, after a minute of silence, where only soft gasps could be heard, moving from her spot at the opposite wall, one step closer toward the queen of her heart, finally accepting all the small cues Regina had given her in the past week, particularly the one of that day, when she had said that she and Robin were done. Feeling rather stupid for her reaction, Emma tried to put her own feelings in words. "I admire you, as a woman, as a mother, as a town official, as my friend, as the snarky hero… Every day, I'm reminded how breathtaking you are, in every way. It is no wonder that I feel the way I do, for you, Regina, are a revelation."

Emma had inched closer to the brunette with every word she had said, now only a foot away, as she saw Regina watching her with caution and barely hidden elation. "It's just, it never makes sense to me that you would actually see anything more than a friend in me. I mean, look at me!" And, Regina did look, a soft glow coming to her eyes.

"I am looking," she whispered gently. "And, I see a beautiful woman who suffered a lot in her life, but who still, despite that, has a magnificent soul, so kind and strong to even dare to love the Evil Queen. I see a woman who would do anything for people she loves, a woman who would stand for what is right, no matter the opinions of others. I see the woman whose friendship and support I cherish. I see a mother I am proud to share my son with. I see you, Emma, just as you see me." It was a code, a hidden message, because she didn't feel brave enough to speak of love just yet, but her eyes told it instead of her. "I know you just as you know me." I love you just as you love me. "I gave him my heart, because you weren't there. You were constantly talking about going back to New York and… I had to let you go once and it almost broke me. You leaving with my heart in tow – it would've destroyed me." She needed to say it, and she knew she had surprised Emma with such revelation if the gasp the blonde had let out was anything to go by. But, there was nothing that Emma could say to that, or that she even should.

Therefore, the Savior didn't speak. Opening her arms shyly, Emma gestured to the other woman with her head to come into the embrace. The brunette accepted it instantly, happy that they had managed to resolve some of the issues, enjoying the strong arms around her, but as she pressed her front against the Sheriff, she took in a surprised gasp of air as the forgotten coffee burn started throbbing with vengeance.

"You OK?" Emma asked, her attention instantly on Regina's face, and when she saw the tight expression, she remembered the reason why they had come into the washroom in the first place. Regina never moved out of the hug, just shifting a bit to manage a bit of space for her healing hand, nodding at Emma's concern look.

As she was directing her magic, aided by the soothing motion of Emma's warm palm on her back, Regina heard someone approaching and immediately after a knock on the door.

"Are you alright in there?" Mary Margaret asked worriedly. "You've been in for a long time," she added unnecessary after Emma grunted her reply of 'We're fine'.

Emma smiled at the freshly healed woman in her arms and wiped the traces of tears from her face. Waterproof mascara, of course Regina would use only the best, she noted absently to herself, knowing her own light makeup was beyond ruined. "We had some pain to deal with first," she added to her mother's benefit, making Regina chuckle, because it was true.

"Is Regina alright?"

"I am now," the woman in question spoke as she used her magic to make herself and Emma presentable again, the traces of tears whisked away. Sharing a look with the Savior, they opened the door and walked out, giving Snow a reasonable reason why Regina couldn't use her magic right away, as they rejoined the others in the living room. Henry came to them, apologizing for shouting, his worry for his mother evident in his eyes, but Regina soothed his concern away as she pulled him onto her lap, letting him go off into an explanation why he had shouted in the first place, her eyes connecting with Emma's over his head making them both smile tenderly for a second before returning their attention to their son. Soon, they were joined by the Charmings, the evening filled with laughter and fun once more.


	21. Chapter 21

The next week passed with Emma and Regina establishing a rhythm to their days. Emma would work at least one shift a day, more often than not taking on David's, as well, with Tink picking up the slack – after several grueling training sessions and orientation classes. Sometimes, Emma felt ridiculous for hiring the woman as a second deputy, as the smaller blonde didn't know how to drive, and the speed of response was one of the necessary things for the police in any town, but the spunky fairy managed to be on top of the demands. Both Henry and Regina had their business hours figured out, he in school, she in the office, unless she needed some on site meetings or inspections. Henry would come to her office in the afternoon, do his homework, then depending on Emma's schedule, the two Mills' would either go to the mansion or to Emma's apartment, more often than not sharing the evening meal with the Town Sheriff. Every so often the three of them would meet up with the Charmings and spend some time together. Emma would often visit her parents on her own, during her lunch breaks or before her shifts, slowly but steadily warming up to the infant, and using the small breaks as a convenient excuse for not having more time to stay around, giving her mother less time to pester her with uncomfortable questions. However, the only two people she never missed to see every day, even if she had to invent official business to stop by the Town Hall, or the school, were Henry and Regina, and honestly, she liked it that way – the domesticity of it peculiarly soothing and empowering.

It wasn't just the extra shifts at the Sheriff's station that kept Emma busy. The various sightings of their newest not so evil villain had to be investigated, and more often than not, the Sheriff was tasked coordinating with the Merry Men and other volunteers in the Town who wanted to help finding Elsa. It was during those searches and investigations that Emma learned more snippets and facts about the Ice Queen. The queen had a younger sister that had gone missing from their kingdom months before Elsa had been trapped by Rumplestiltskin, and the woman had been on her quest to find her, her search leading her to the Dark One. And, Rumplestiltskin, in the true Dark One fashion had tricked the young desperate woman, encasing her in the metal jar.

It was after one of such searches that Emma had finally managed to track down the woman, finding her hideout in the forest out of town, the house built completely out of ice standing before her intact, despite the warm temperatures of the air and stuffiness of the forest. However, the habitat was empty, and waiting for the angry woman with the power to control ice, alone and without back up, was dangerous.  _Downright idiotic and utterly irresponsible_  - Emma's mind supplied, oddly enough in Regina's voice. So Emma took in the position of the house and directed herself toward the town, knowing that she was beyond late for the promised dinner at the Mayor's manor. In fact, if the phone display wasn't lying, Henry was already in bed and she had still a two hour trek before her. It was just her luck that when the tip had come in, no one was around to come with her on the follow up, and the cell reception was tricky at best that deep in the forest, and nonexistent in most cases.

Trudging through the forest, she held her flash light in front of her, watching the forest floor, not willing to break her ankle, or neck, on a hidden root or something. It had been drizzling the whole day, and now that the Sun had been down for some time, the air actually grew a lot colder. The dim ambiance of the night woods made Emma think of all the vampire movies she had seen, along with the stories Ruby had told her. All in all, she wasn't happy to be stuck where she was, tripping over vegetation. And, the first thought that came to her mind when she reached civilization wasn't to get warm, or to have a shower and change. No, she needed someone to talk to, a friendly face, someone who would let her talk and relax. Ruby, she thought. Yes, she could see the young shifter, they were due for another girls night anyways. But, despite her hazily made decision, her own body seemed to have another idea, parking the patrol car on the Mifflin Street, right in front of the white mansion she had visited many times. She didn't even have time to hesitate over it as her body continued on autopilot and before she could even comprehend how to take over the control, she had already knocked on the white door, squinting when the porch light went on.

"Emma," came Regina's surprised murmur when the door opened slightly, showing the Mayor in a robe and soft slippers as she blinked at the Sheriff at her door. "Is everything alright?" The sleepiness instantly turned into alertness as Regina appraised the blonde, looking for any sign of distress. After Emma had sent out a short text explaining that she most likely would not be able to make it to dinner, having just caught a new lead, Regina hadn't hoped for the blonde stopping by that evening, especially not after midnight.

"Sorry, I…" Emma shuffled from her foot to foot, not really knowing what to say. "It's late, I shouldn't have bothered you, I should go," she mumbled quickly as she turned to leave, but she was stopped with an utterance of her name.

"Emma," Regina called out to her, not wanting the blonde to leave. Not when she was finally there. Opening the door wider, the brunette gestured the Sheriff inside. The second the blonde passed the door, however, she stopped and took off her boots, and only then did Regina see the mud encased on them or on the Sheriff's jeans. "Tough day?" she asked as she guided the blonde into the kitchen, knowing this kind of night called for a hot chocolate.

"Not really, no," Emma said in false cheer as she sat on the chair at the counter, watching Regina hustle around the stove, recognizing the ingredients she had pulled out of various places instantly. This was what she needed, she realized. This feeling of homeliness. "Well, it was going great, until I received a tip that I thought was sending me on the wild goose chase, but I had to check anyways. So imagine my surprise when after three hours of stumbling around in that goddamn forest I actually found something." She didn't know what made her more irritated, that the tip had been good, that she had to trek for three hours there and back, coming pretty close to the town line, that she had to wait till morning before forming a team to go with her, that she had missed dinner with her favorite people, or that the tip was anonymous. Most likely it was the combination of all.

"You did? What?" Regina asked with interest as she placed a cup with the chocolate, whipped cream and cinnamon in front of the Savior, taking in the grateful smile crossing over Emma's face.

"A freaking house! Made of ice, no less. In the middle of nowhere." Emma pulled out her phone and showed the picture she had snapped before she had left to the woman, drinking her chocolate while Regina scrutinized the image on the picture.

"I've never seen anything like it," the brunette spoke, returning the phone. "You don't know who gave it to you?"

"Not a clue…"Emma said tiredly before she drained the cup and placed it in the sink. "Thank you for the…" she gestured vaguely to the cup, but Regina knew that Emma wasn't thanking her for the chocolate. "I should leave, it's a school night after all."

"If you think I am going to let you walk out of here in this hour, you are horribly mistaken, Miss Swan," Regina spoke firmly, already going upstairs, her tone clear. Emma had a feeling that if she even made a move toward the door she would find herself bound and transported upstairs like a recalcitrant child, so she followed the brunette, trudging up her shoulders drooping from the exhaustion. "Here," Regina offered a pajama set, gesturing her toward the bathroom.

Five minutes later, Emma was back in Regina's room, looking sheepishly at the woman already in bed. "What are you waiting for? Get in." The Mayor turned down one side of her downy comforter, her eyebrow going up in expectance. This was a new development, and they were both aware of that. Before, when Emma would stay over, they would spend their evening talking in the study, or living room, and then when Regina would see the blonde's eyes drooping she would send her to the guest room. But, now, Emma was here, in Regina's room for the first time and she didn't know how to deal with it. However, she followed Regina's instruction and got in, sinking into the most amazing mattress she had ever had under her, sighing in comfort. Regina turned off the lamp she had on, plunging the room in darkness.

Even though the tiredness and the exhaustion she felt after her odyssey into the forest, she just couldn't turn off her mind. She was lying next to Regina, and despite the fact that they had shared a bed before, in light of their newly revealed feelings it seemed different. But, it wasn't the only thing that kept her awake. The whole hunt for the Ice Queen seemed unfair, as the woman was just trying to find her sister, in more unorthodox methods, she would admit, but hardly a cold hearted murderer at large. In all honesty, Emma felt like she should arrest Rumple, but she couldn't, not for something that had happened a long time ago. And, there was the mystery of Anna, the missing sister. But, her mind always returned to the brunette beside her. Emma lied on her back, afraid to move, not wanting to keep the already accommodating woman awake for longer.

"I can hear you thinking," Regina murmured as she turned toward the blonde. "Can't sleep?"

"I just think that all the manhunt is unnecessary. It's not like she is hurting anyone."

"She did fling a car off the road, Emma. And, the first time, if I hadn't had my magic, we would have suffered the same fate." Regina's voice was heavy with sleep, but she still fought valiantly to stay awake for Emma. "At least, someone needs to talk to her, to prevent her from doing it again." Then, the brunette came closer to Emma, moving the golden tresses that seemed silver in the light that was coming from the street off the blonde's face, the soft caress pulling a gratified moan out of the Savior. "At least, when we find her, and find out the whole story, perhaps we could help her find her sister." Then she flicked Emma's nose playfully, before returning to her previous position. "You can get yourself comfortable, Emma, I don't mind. Just get some sleep." After she spoke those words she felt the bed shift, as Emma turned around, heeding her advice of getting better situated, lying on her side facing Regina. "Good night," she murmured lightly, sure that the Savior was already asleep.

"G'night, R'gin'," Emma mumbled back, her consciousness fading, making Regina smile in warm affection, as she was feeling the blonde's body warmth on her back, meaning Emma was almost close enough to initiate spooning, despite their unspoken deal to go really, really slow. It was a necessary choice as neither of them knew how to be in a loving and stable relationship, and the both women wanted this to last, with the blonde thinking in the terms of years and decades for the first time in her life. And, before they threw sex and its consequences into the mix, the women needed to deal with several more pressing issues in their communication, as it was too volatile at the moment. But, their agreement did not mean Regina could not offer comfort to the obviously taxed Sheriff, and the brunette gave it, gladly, feeling immeasurably pleased that the blonde was coming to her for it. But, her heart also broke at the weight that had settled on Emma's shoulders, the burden caused by the people of her town, wanting the Sheriff to deal with many of their problems.

The morning found them together, turned toward each other, holding each other's hand in the small strip of space between them. Regina woke first, but she did not move away or get up, not willing to leave the blonde in front of her just yet. Her eyes passed over the fair skin, the Savior's face relaxed in sleep, and Regina could not get her fill of it, adoring the sight of it without the accompanying tightness around the eyes and mouth. Emma seemed so young, with her hair strewn across the pillow, one of her hands under it, despite the small worry and stress lines having formed on her face. Regina sighed happily, this was the face she loved waking up beside.

"Do I have something on my forehead?" the blonde murmured, before lazily opening her eyes. And the moment she saw the vision of the woman in front of her, she fell in love all over again, wanting  _this_  for the rest of her life. The slightly mussed dark hair framed the sparkling eyes and even shinier smile of the beautiful woman, the sight of it making Emma's heart pump harder and faster, as Regina drew herself closer to the blonde, and with the childish exuberance kissed her forehead.

"You do, now," the brunette spoke in her still sleep roughened voice, the huskiness of it bringing heat and thrills to the Savior's skin, pooling it in the lower regions of her body. Reaching for Emma's cheek, Regina smiled lovingly at the blonde, caressing the skin beneath her fingers. "I am glad you came," she spoke seriously after a moment. "And, I am glad you stayed."

"It's not like I had a choice," the blonde murmured, her attempt of joke falling short. Regina knew it was a defense mechanism, something that Emma used to deflect, to diminish the emotional magnitude of the moment, and she didn't let it go this time.

"You always have a choice, Emma. I will never force you to stay against your will, or make decisions for you." Not like they had been made for both of them by other people, often ruining their lives in process, be it for the greater good or some other trite excuse.

"I know that," Emma replied earnestly, and she did know that Regina would try her best to do well by her. "It's just, as long you want me here, I am choosing to stay." Perhaps her voice broke at the end of her sentence, or it was just that her throat was dry from sleeping, but the words she spoke, she meant them with her whole heart – and in her mind it was a promise, an oath, she never wanted to break.

"What if I want you here for a long time?" The here they talked about had nothing to do with the mansion, and they both knew that.

"Then, I am a happy Savior," Emma replied flippantly, her answer not less true.

Unfortunately, they had to get up, with Emma needing to organize the trek to the ice cottage, and Regina busy with school board meetings, now that the school was out. They shared a quick family breakfast, Henry joining them despite the fact that he could have slept in. With a kiss to his forehead and a squeeze on Regina's upper arm, Emma left, feeling rested enough to actually be happy for going to work, her energetic behavior making the Mills' chuckle.

After impressing the importance of having his phone on him and available at all times, and making him promise that he would not wander off, or spend much time alone, Regina dropped off Henry at Mary Margaret's place, and with a light kiss on his cheek she wished him a good day and left to her office. He came to her later, bringing lunch and reading a book he brought while his mother finished up with her work, waiting for her to go to Granny's for their weekly family dinner, the women had decided to proceed with it, regardless of the very possible likelihood of Emma and David not making it. Although he had opportunities to spend his time with his school friends or with Ruby at the dinner, he knew that with Emma gone more often than not, his mother would worry much more about him than usual, so he had chosen one of the books bought in New York and taking it to the couch in his mother's office, he started reading. Instantly, he could see that him being in plain sight eased the strain in the Mayor's shoulders, even though he knew that Regina would never begrudge him spending his time with friends. And, shrewd woman as she was, the Mayor knew what her son was doing, and appreciated it greatly, proud and touched by his kindness and thoughtfulness.

They drove in silence to the dinner, as it was a very short ride, and the minute Regina parked beside the Granny's, they were met with Snow pushing Neal in stroller. As Ruby gestured them to the window table, their usual, as it was slightly bigger than the rest in the diner, capable of seating them all, Regina checked her phone, disappointed when there were no new notifications.

"Hey, guys," David spoke from the door as he rushed in. "Emma's not back yet?" he asked after he kissed his wife and son, patting Henry's shoulder.

"I thought you were together?" Regina asked pointedly, as she took her phone, dialing Emma's number.

"We split up, to cover more grounds. Emma took Tink and Mulan with her, along with the big guy, John." He leaned back, gesturing for Ruby to bring him water. "The house was gone by the time we got there, only a foot of ice was left of it. There were tracks going from it, but they went in two different directions a bit further down. Perhaps the other path veered a bit farther into the forest?"

Regina listened to David's explanation, frowning when she instantly got Emma's voicemail, as if her phone was turned off. She tried again, getting the same result. "Something's not right," she murmured to herself, as she dialed Tink's number. "It's ringing out…" she told the others, her worry ratcheting up as the fairy deputy failed to answer her phone. She rose from the booth, ready to summon her magic, hoping it would be able to help her to find Emma, but in that moment a very loud thunder passed through the small town, startling everyone.

"They didn't announce any storms today," Mary Margaret spoke softly, joining Regina.

"It's not storm," Regina spoke clearly. Then she turned to the people beside her, David holding Henry. "It's magic." She rushed out from the diner, followed by the others, Ruby and Granny joining them. Regina felt the familiar feel of her tutor's power and it guided her toward his shop, from where another loud bang was heard. Rushing, almost running on her heels, she was the first to lay eyes upon the scene before her, it making her blood freeze with fear, just as another boom rolled over her.

There she was, the platinum blonde woman in shimmering blue dress, engaged in what seemed to be a magical duel with Rumplestiltskin right in the middle of the street, all the while she was screaming at him about her sister. And right behind her was Emma, kneeling down as her arms were spread wide, held in that position by two pillars of ice encasing them, just as her knees and lower parts of her legs were submerged in the clear ice. From where Regina was standing, Emma seemed unconscious, her head hanging low on her chest, the blonde hair covering her face. At least, Regina hoped she was unconscious, that the unnatural stillness of the Savior wasn't due something else – something more permanent, something Regina couldn't even think about.

"Regina!" the brunette heard a gruff voice calling to her, shaking her out of her stupor. Luckily, Henry and the others still couldn't see what was happening, and she couldn't let her son witness it so she placed the barrier, stopping the Charmings, including the teenage boy, in place. She turned toward the man who was calling her, and recognizing John right away, despite the fact that he was lying down in a heap, injured and covered in blood, she walked to him, ready to heal him. "We found her. Both of them. Tink left to bring her here, hoping to calm Elsa down. Can't come any closer, magic strikes, Mulan down." The man gasped in short breaths, his lungs definitely collapsing, fading too quickly. The brunette poured some of her magic into him, before she sent him away with her transportation spell, making him appear in the Storybrooke ER immediately after.

She then looked toward the fighting two, noticing that both ice and Rumplestiltskin's magic were going off, hitting at random, and making it extremely dangerous for anyone in the vicinity, and those two seemed lost in their own fight, heedless to anything that was happening around them. The glass window of the shop shattered when a white bolt struck it, the glass exploding over the street, while at the same time, the ray of blood red magic scorched the pavement, melting the ice that had encased it, forming a deep burrow on it and a large quantity of steam hanging in the air. The electric lights were going out, unable to stand the amount of loose energy in the air, their loud pops sounding like a gun fire. She couldn't just run to Emma, as she would only get hit by the crossfire, and she needed to think. Think of a plan that wouldn't get them both killed, as she couldn't even conceive of leaving Henry with no parents. Knowing she would need help she released the protective border on the Charmings', letting them come to her, stopping Henry from going any further, her heart breaking as she listened to his angry shouts to go and help Emma.


	22. Chapter 22

"Where do you think this trail is leading, Savior?" the armored woman asked, as she followed the blonde over a fallen log. She then glanced back to the other two in their group, and seeing them fall behind, she rushed forward, patting Emma's hand to stop. The Sheriff took in the distance the others were at and used the log to sit on it, proclaiming a time for a small break.

"If it continues down the slope this way, it will reach the endings of the Main Street, somewhere around Gold's pawn shop," Emma huffed out, reaching for the canteen she was glad she had the foresight to bring. Mulan sat right beside her and only seconds after John and Tink reached them, almost falling down on the log with elation that the leading blonde had called for the break. Immediately, John guzzled down half of his water supply, waving Emma's worried 'You OK?' off. "Alright, catch a breath."

"Hey Emma, do you still have those pictures of the house on your phone?" the fairy deputy asked, her face screwed in thought. Something was bothering her, niggling deep down as she thought she had seen something familiar in the photo that morning.

Emma looked over to her deputy, taking in the still ruddy face from the exertion, the black flannel shirt and dark jeans, topped off with heavy duty boots, which Emma had a feeling were in children's size. The moment Emma had hired her and mentioned to her that skirts and dresses weren't really appropriate for the officer of the law, the smaller blonde started dressing more suitable to the job, always in pants and sturdy footwear, often making Emma laugh with pointed comments that she should have had one of those in Neverland. "Yup, why?"

"Can I see it?"

"Sure," the Sheriff gave the other woman her phone, interested in what was happening in the blonde's head. "What's on your mind?"

"I just thought I saw something earlier," Tink mumbled as she scrolled down the gallery. "Yes," she said as she found the picture she wanted, and zooming it in, she showed it to the others. In the photo Emma had snapped the evening before a window was shown, but that hadn't been what had drawn Tink's attention. It was the statue of ice behind it, portraying a young woman with a braid, wearing a loving smile, the sculpture Emma hadn't noticed before as she had been more occupied with if Elsa had been there.

"Well, I'll be damned," John murmured as he looked up from the phone. "You think that's the girl we're looking for?"

"No other reason to have her representation in the house, right?" Emma confirmed as she shook her head. If not for the Deputy's sharp eyes they would've missed it, and it would be her fault. Luckily she had remembered to take pictures…

"The thing is, I think I saw this girl here," Tinker Bell said, giving the phone back to Emma. "I cannot be sure, I mean the ice and all…"

"Where?" the Savior asked shortly, getting to the point.

"I think she was one of baby Alexandra babysitters, the neighbor to Boyds…" As Tink mentioned it, Emma remembered the exuberant girl that had come with Ashley and Sean on the announcement party, and she wholeheartedly agreed that the boisterous nanny could very well be the Anna they were looking for.

"Alright, as soon we get to the town, go find her. Mulan you go with her, and John and I will go see where the trail leads." Deeming the break over, the Sheriff rose and started on the path, but before she made more than five steps forward a hand on her shoulder stopped her. If she wasn't already used to Mulan's silent gestures she would've turned and gone all 'what the hell' on the warrior. But, as she was used to it, she only froze, waiting for the brunette to come closer to her.

"Down the path, to those low hanging branches," the warrior whispered in Emma's ear, guiding her head to look where she was pointing. And, right there, they all saw something blue flicker in their vision. The Ice Queen was close. But, unfortunately for them the wind had carried down their voices from their break and now she was running away, or rushing toward the town, Emma wasn't sure. Immediately she gave chase, the bail bond person's instincts telling her that if she didn't catch up to her now, she never would. She heard the others follow her as she jumped over the fallen twigs, low bushes and ducking beneath the branches, the adrenalin coursing through her blood. It had been a while since she had been chasing someone.

However, after half a minute of breakneck run, she was stopped by the magic of ice going right at her, and it was only because of her fast reflexes that she was able to duck, but others weren't that lucky. Mulan and John were down for the count, while Tinker had tripped over a root of a tree, crashing down the slope. Deciding to check on her companions first, Emma climbed up toward the two members of the Merry Men, pleased to see them already getting up, although somewhat dazed. "Tink!" Emma shouted, as she looked around, not seeing the fairy in the thick brushes.

"I'm fine!" came from somewhere below her. "Mostly," the deputy grumbled as she straightened out, dusting off her shirt. She looked up to Emma, waiting for directions, as it was a long and steep way up.

"Go find Anna," the Sheriff said after she judged the situation. They had no time to lose, and waiting for the fairy to rejoin them would be just that, a waste of time. "If you go right ahead, you'll get to residences. We'll go after her." Then she stopped for a second, pulling her phone out and swearing viciously when she saw the cracked screen and broken back of it. "Call Regina and Blue, we need magic."

"I lost my phone," reached Emma as she turned away, making her snap right back. "I think as I fell," Tinker Bell said with apology.

Of course, it wouldn't be easy, Emma sighed as she shook her head. "Get Anna, and then find a way to get those two to Gold's." Not even waiting for a response, she already started down the path, following the tracks the platinum blonde had left behind her. Silently, she cursed herself for forgetting to take one of the radios from David, but she had thought that the two phones they had had would be more than enough. Joined by the warrior and the woodsman, she jogged down the path, careful not to walk into another trap.

She had been right. The Ice Queen had been going straight toward the pawn shop, apparently wanting to directly attack Rumplestiltskin, the imp who no doubt had been the cause of plenty of pain in her life. Emma couldn't really blame her, but although Elsa's anger was focused on the Dark One, the Sheriff had a feeling that if left unchecked, the Ice Queen would reap many victims as a collateral damage. Taking a moment to catch her breath, she looked over the part of town she could see from her perch in safety of the forest. Only a half a mile ahead was the Main Street and the shop, along with other business around. Emma thanked the gods for it being the evening already, meaning that the most working people would already be at their homes, ready to eat dinner with their families.

The Ice Queen appeared in the middle of the street shouting Rumplestiltskin's name as the air around her was getting colder by the second. Emma needed time, and apparently she didn't have it anymore, as the imp appeared in the mist of dark red magic, in his smart black suit, ironically with a blue tie and handkerchief. The second he had shown himself, greeting the young queen in his mocking drawl ice started forming over the street, the pale glimmer travelling farther and farther away. Taking in a deep breath, Emma left the shelter of the forest, took out her weapon, and prayed that Tink would find Regina soon as this was about to get bad, really bad, really soon, as it always happened with any kind of showdown in Storybrooke. Gesturing to the two accompanying her, she ordered them to try to evacuate the buildings on the street, steering Mulan toward the pawn shop, knowing that for sure Belle was still in there, as the smart bookworm would not be far away from her loved one, not after losing him the last time, with Pan.

And, she… Well, she was about to do something that was certainly going to get her killed. If not by the hands of Rumplestiltskin or Elsa, then Regina would most definitely do the job for ever thinking up such a ridiculous idea. But, she was the Savior, as many people had earnestly told her, and it was her… what was that despised word Snow once used? Right, Duty to fight for the good, and aid those in need, to be the hero in the story. Her duty as the Royal, her duty as the Sheriff and her duty as the Savior. And, unfortunately for her, being a hero today meant walking in the middle of the magical fight between the utterly pissed off woman with most impressive show of elemental magic and endlessly sniggering devil incarnate. She hoped that the distraction she would provide would give Tinker Bell a little more time to bring the girl, before those two leveled the town to the ground.

"Elsa!" she shouted, her gun pointed toward the woman. "Elsa, this isn't the way!" she said, trying to get the queen's attention.

"This doesn't concern you, constable," the platinum blonde replied, not even looking at her, her hand stretching toward the Sheriff, shooting off ice in her direction, making Emma stumble back in attempt to avoid it, as it struck her weapon making it useless. "This is between me and Rumplestiltskin."

"It concerns me, Elsa, when you are about to destroy my town!"

"Listen to the Savior, little girl, and settle down. No need for your blood to be spilt tonight." Rumplestiltskin spoke with his patent sneer, chuckling evilly at growl that Elsa released in the result.

"Gold, not helping!" Emma shouted at the man, seriously irritated by his need of posturing. However, her outburst only brought Elsa's attention to her and with another swipe of her hand, she bound the Sheriff down onto her knees, as she forced the ice to form around her lower legs, keeping her down. Instantly after, two pillars of ice wound themselves over Emma's arms, stretching those outwards forcing Emma into a weird cross-like position.

"Stay out of it," the Ice Queen spoke, once again returning her attention fully toward the imp in front of her, attacking him with a barrage of ice, making him defend himself with magic. Emma watched helpless as she saw the ice shards rain over the street, hitting the innocents fleeing away, guided by John, who had already suffered some cuts. On the other side Mulan managed to sneak Belle out of the shop, unseen by the fighting enemies, but one of the stray Rumplestiltskin's spells hit the warrior in the side, taking her down along with the former librarian who she was trying to protect, all the while creating a thunder like sound, making Emma's ears ring. Trying to shake off the buzzing in her head, Emma saw John trying to get closer to her but another reflected spell hit him square in the chest, taking him up in the air and dropping him down ten feet farther away in a crumpled heap on a freshly formed ice that was rapidly turning dark red. Another thunder and the pavement beside Emma erupted, showering her in debris, one chunk of it hitting her in head, causing her to briefly lose consciousness, her head lolling down on her chest as she was kept up with the ice.

"We need to get Emma out of there," Snow said for the third time, making Regina roll her eyes in exasperation. They had found Mulan and Belle barely alive, but alive nonetheless, thanks to the enchanted blade the warrior had been carrying on her side as it had absorbed most of the spell hitting them. Before being sent to hospital, Mulan had confirmed that Tink was to bring Anna to them, hoping to stop Elsa from her murderous rampage.

"No one can approach her," David spoke reasonably, even as he watched on in fear, knowing that one if one of those bouncing spells or ice pellets hit his daughter, she would be gone. But, Ruby had tried to run to her, using her extraordinary reflexes, however it proved to be too much even for her, getting her down in the first yards into the danger zone, and only Regina's quick reaction had saved her life.

"Regina could," Mary Margaret spoke, looking up at her former stepmother, her hopeful gaze twisting Regina's insides.

"I'll be down before even thinking of getting her out of the ice," the sorceress shot down that idea, but it was the best one they had so far, and they all agreed that leaving the blonde there was not an option. Making her decision, Regina took Henry in her arms and held him tight, silently saying goodbye to him, before she allowed the mist to take her away, her heart painfully seizing at his broken whimper when he fell through where her arms once had been.

Appearing right behind Emma, she summoned several of her fiery orbs instantly, letting her do the job before her hand went to the blonde's neck, checking for pulse. "Emma," she whispered into the blonde's ear as she felt a weak but steady beat under her fingers. Feeling the Savior rouse, she spoke again. "This whole distraction thing has to stop," she said firmly, remembering the time Emma had jumped of the ship to stop their arguing, as she checked over the woman's injuries, finding only several cuts on her face along with a bump on her head. As Emma chuckled weakly, Regina felt the responding tingle of magic in the Savior, and using it to help her, she threw herself on the mission of rescuing the blonde from the ice.

"When we get out of here, you can punish me any way you'd like, but can we first get on with the rescue part?" The Savior spared no snark, infinitely pleased to hear Regina's voice, her sharp tone warming her from inside, just as the balls of fire were from the outside.

"You'd like that a bit too much, wouldn't you? Me punishing you," Regina added with a smirk, as she tried to break the ice around Emma's left arm, some of her attention on the still raging battle in front of them.

Emma felt her blood heat up when the Mayor's words conjured a picture in her mind, picture that she had a feeling she wouldn't mind recreating, at all. "It has merit," she murmured, her voice growing deeper with each syllable she spoke, making Regina's eyebrow rise in surprise at the aroused Sheriff.

"Well, well, I think that can be arranged," Regina answered in her best Mayoral tone, before she forced her magic into the ice, breaking it from inside, finally setting one of Emma's limbs free, quickly followed by another, and soon, Emma was free. But before Regina could transport them away, the combined magic struck the building by them, taking down an entire part of the wall, bricks and debris falling down on the two women. With Emma's quick reaction, they both managed to escape the most of the rubble, using her own body to protect Regina from the smaller bits raining down on her. "Emma?" the brunette asked with panic in her voice as she felt the blonde collapse on top of her, but answering grunt and a murmur of 'damn it, today is not my lucky day' eased her worry. "Come on, Savior, let's get you out of here." Rising up, Regina helped Emma to her feet, partially hidden from the others by the rubble on the street, placing the blonde's arm around her shoulder. "Ready?" she asked, summoning her magic and after Emma's short nod, she activated the spell of transportation to take them out of the danger zone, before they figured it out how to stop the two from further fighting.

As the magic was starting to work, Regina saw a light blue magic light rush straight at them, and as she had seen Elsa's magic before, she knew that it was pure ice magic in this form and it was going to hit Emma directly in the back. After all they had been through, and all the times Emma had saved her, and even after the last five minutes spent trying to save her, she wasn't going to let anything happen to the blonde that had captured her heart so firmly. So, at the last minute, she turned them around, just as the white ray collided with her middle making her gasp in pain. However, before Emma could even inquire about it they were gone in mist, as the transportation spell finally kicked in.

"What happened?" Emma asked the second they reappeared, her hands going to Regina's forearms. "What was that?" she tried again, as she felt Regina shudder in front of her, ignoring the happy cheer from around her, as her family and friends tried to reach her.

"Ice magic," Regina whispered as she looked into the worried green eyes. "It must've only grazed me or something," she added, as she reached for Emma's bloody cheek, smiling. No, it hadn't, and she knew it, already feeling the ice travelling through her bloodstream, but faced with that choice again, she would do it again. "I'm fine," she spoke, ignoring the way the green eyes narrowed, sensing the lie in her words, but before the blonde could confront her Regina opened her arms welcoming Henry in them.

"Moms," he shouted with elation as he barreled into them, holding them tight in his arms. However, as soon as Emma enveloped her arms around both of them, another magical explosion reminded them of the fight still happening only a block away. In that moment Emma saw her deputy running over with the young Anna in tow. As soon as she saw them, the Sheriff and the Savior reappeared, and she pushed Henry toward Regina and Snow, as she walked toward Belle, a new plan forming in her mind.

"Do you have it here?" the Savior asked the former librarian, her tone implicating clearly enough what she was talking about. With a short nod, the blue eyed brunette pulled out the intricately designed dagger, showing it to Emma. "Good. Use it to stop him from further attacks."

"But, she will…" Belle complained, not wanting to leave her husband in danger. Emma pointed toward the women coming to them and the young Rumplestiltskin's wife understood instantly. With Anna there, Elsa would have no need to fight, and Belle was there to stop her husband from retaliation. With another nod, she accepted the plan, following Emma to Tink.

"Regina, can you cover us?" Emma asked, as her eyes searched the brunette's suddenly more tired face. With a raised eyebrow as her answer, the blonde quickly explained the plan, taking Anna into a gentle side hug, to guide her forward and to be able to push her out of the way if need be. "Anna is here!" Emma yelled, her voice ringing out strongly over the sounds of magical battle and the blonde spared a thankful glance toward Regina, knowing she had something to do with it. As Elsa turned toward them in surprise, Emma nodded to Belle to do her part, and the kindhearted woman jumped to work, her both hands on the dagger as she demanded of Rumplestiltskin to stand down.

"Something's not right," Emma murmured as Rumple continued on with his attack, too deeply in the magic to even hear them. Her eyes connecting with Regina, her question clear – could she make him stop?

"No, but I can do something else," the brunette sorceress replied softly, as she pooled her magic, before sending it toward Elsa, making her appear right beside Anna. The minute she did so, Belle jumped in front of them, still holding on to the not-working dagger shouting at Rumple to stop, finally getting him to listen. As the magical mist cleared, Regina winced in pain, her hand going toward her heart, stumbling a bit in her place.

"Regina?" Emma went to her, noticing the pallor and the pain on her face, reaching for her hand. But before she could even grasp the cold limb properly, the woman crashed down, almost too quickly for the blonde to catch her and slow her fall. Emma cradled the brunette's head in the crook of her elbow and she used her other hand to check the pulse or any sign of injury. It was then when the brunette slowly opened her eyes.

"Emma," she spoke in a weary tremble while a sad smile crooked her lips. Her brown eyes were filled with so much pain, but regardless of it, Emma could see love, as well, shining out of them. "My turn," Regina managed to gasp before her eyes closed once more, going limp in Emma's arms. "Regina, come on," the Savior murmured, panic seizing her as she couldn't get the woman to open her eyes once more, feeling the body in her arms getting unnaturally cold. All the world disappeared from her, all the people around her, the shouts, the screams, even the touches of her parents, it all faded from her, as she sat on the still cold ground, her eyes focused on the olive face before her getting blurred by the second as tears streamed down her cheeks. "Please… No…" she begged, repeating the words over and over again, pleading with the woman without whom Emma had no hope, no life, to come back.


	23. Chapter 23

The second Regina collapsed, Snow and David turned toward her daughter, rushing up to help. But at the sight of the deathly pallor on her once stepmother's face, Mary Margaret swallowed a whimper that wanted to tear her throat, as she reached for her grandson, holding him firmly in her arms, as his hands helplessly tried to get a response from his mother. Emma's helpless pleading was unbearable, each word the blonde spoke like a knife in the pixie haired brunette's heart, but she knew that she would stay with her daughter, if need be forever, despite the pain she herself was feeling. And, what was the most heartbreaking of all was the fact that Regina had given her life saving Emma, and Snow recognized the look Regina had in her eyes directed at Emma, recognizing love filled eyes on her former stepmother instantly, the tragic irony of the moment not lost on her.

Only after a light tap on David's shoulder, did Snow move, looking up into the face of the Ice Queen, contorted in remorse and grief, as the young royal knelt beside Emma, her sister following her example. Afraid to reach out, the woman whispered gently to the Savior her apology and compunction filled words, terribly sorry that she was the cause of this tragedy.

"Undo it," Emma spoke suddenly, her anguish filled eyes turning toward the platinum blonde. "It was your magic, undo it!" The blonde spoke through her teeth, her hand grabbing the front of Elsa's dress and pulling her closer until their noses were almost touching. "Undo it or so help me…"

"Emma," David tried to interfere, but the sharp glance in his direction stopped him from adding anything more, as he genuinely felt terror at the sorrowful and devastated green eyes, that gleamed with cold fury and hatred as well as with something else, something he had never seen in Emma's eyes before. Love. He saw love in each move she made, the tender way she was holding Regina's body, the rage she felt toward Elsa, the desperate way she had been calling for Regina…

"The only thing that can undo my magic," Elsa spoke gently, her hand going to Emma's one still fisting on her chest. "The only thing is…"

"What! What is it?" The blonde yelled sharply, losing patience as she shook the woman in her hold.

"An act of True Love," Elsa spoke again, her eyes darting toward Anna who smiled at her with encouragement. "When Anna was hit with my magic, it went away when she saved my life."

"She was hit saving my life," Emma added weakly, the flicker of hope she had extinguished as she realized that Regina had needed to save her twice. There was no question in her mind if the brunette in her arms was her True Love, because she knew. She might have been insecure about it but deeply down, she knew – they had made magic together, and there was always something that kept them returning to each other, even when they had thought that they had hated each other.

"Mom?" Henry's teary voice drew her attention toward the teenager still holding Regina's limp hand in his own. "True Love's kiss. It is an act of True Love, just as saving."

"The lad is right," Rumplestiltskin joined in, having come closer after he had realized the fighting had stopped, as he stood beside silently fuming Belle, knowing that he would weather that storm soon enough. "True Love's kiss is the key."

Hearing the truth in Rumplestiltskin's words, Emma glanced toward her boy and as her eyes glanced over her parents, she saw their encouraging looks, just as Henry was nodding at her, gesturing at her to get on with it. So she turned to look at the woman in her arms and nodding to herself, she leaned over the brunette, her hand releasing Elsa and going to Regina's face, pushing the dark tresses away from it, as she felt the cold skin under the pads of her fingers. Tracing the scar on Regina's lip, the mark that had drawn her look there so many times, that had tickled Emma's imagination in many ways, Emma opened herself fully, allowing her love to escape the confines of her heart, needing its magic now more than ever. Once more, she allowed everything but the woman in her arms to go away, the sounds quieting until there was nothing left but her own ragged breaths. Closing her eyes, she drew herself near slowly, and when she was only millimeters away from Regina's lips, she stopped, feeling her own breath reflecting heat of the frigid skin. Waiting a moment, Emma focused as she would focus with her magic, speaking the words of love in her own mind, knowing somehow that Regina would hear them, or at least feel them, but she didn't want the others to be the witnesses to such event, as it was something private. And, it should be the brunette to hear them first for sure, anyways. I love you, Regina, she swore in the silence of her own thoughts. Come back to me, my love.

As soon as she thought those words she leaned in and touched the cold lips with her own, feeling her own tears bathing Regina's face as she wished for the woman to respond to the kiss. Not moving away, she slowly noticed that the mouth she was leaning against were getting warmer, but as nothing else happened, she thought it was only her own body heat doing its job. However, soon after, she felt a power rise in her, power she had not felt for months, as it started out from her heart, and following the blood it pumped, the magic flowed to her every organ, every cell, every limb as ignited fires in her, the familiar buzz of it almost soothing in this time of sorrow. As soon as she was filled with the Savior's light magic, she felt the responding tingle from Regina, the second she realized what it was, an explosion of shimmering light in all colors of the rainbow erupted from the brunette, immediately followed by a gasp, as Regina pulled in a desperate lungful of air, opening her eyes filled with awe and love as she gazed into the Savior's face. Currently, Emma had her eyes closed, her eyebrows portraying a frown displaying unease for some reason, but then the Sheriff swallowed hard and looked down at Regina, her eyes shining with power so strong that they glowed in the dark of the destroyed street.

"I love you," Emma spoke quietly, her rough voice betraying the pain, the misery, the horror she had gone through in the last minutes. But it was also filled with delight, love and hope, almost sounding giddy.

"I love you too," Regina replied in a teary, but happy whisper before she used her free hand to pull Emma down into another kiss that soon turned into another and another. It was Snow's cleared throat that stopped them from going anyway further, as they remembered they were in the middle of the street, surrounded by so many people. Regina leaned into Emma, helped up into a seating position by her Savior as she turned toward the teary eyed teenager watching them with awe and happiness. She tugged gently on the hand he had placed into hers, showing him that she was well enough for him to hug her. Without hesitation, he threw himself on her, his sudden move shaking Snow out of balance and if not for David's shoulder, she would've fallen down on the ground.

While Regina and Emma held their boy, Mary Margaret sank into embrace her husband provided as they watched the women converse with the teenager. Suddenly, the pixie haired brunette understood why Emma would often shut down at the mention of finding a man, feeling rather stupid at the moment, for her daughter's love for the brunette in her arms was evident, with the True Love's kiss and all. But, even without it, looking back, Snow could see all the instances where the blonde's feelings had been obvious, and it was a kick in her teeth for it only proved that she didn't know her daughter as well as she had thought. "I just wanted her to be happy," she murmured softly into David's neck.

"She is. And, she has found her True Love." It was like David to see the most important. It helped that he had inkling about his daughter's feelings, and that he had seen much more than anyone would guess of him. He had noticed a cloud that would mare Emma's forehead every time he would mention his son, and he had seen the way her eyes darkened in jealousy when she had found out that he had been the Sheriff in the new version of Storybrooke. He had feared that the trip to New York had just been Emma's idea of soothing their anxieties, giving them false insurances that she would return, that it was only a trip and so on, before she would go on and disappear with their grandson. And, when Regina had agreed to go with them, he had never felt such terror grasp his heart, for if Henry had everyone he truly needed, why would Emma ever return? But, now as Emma was gently nuzzling into Regina's shoulder, smiling, he felt relieved that finally there was something glorious keeping his daughter in town.

Emma felt the scrutiny from her parents but she refused to look at them, Henry and Regina more important to her, not only at the moment but ever. However, when the crowd started thinning, and when it was time to finally get up, she glanced at her father, and when she met his blue eyes shining with such a pleased smile, she felt her throat constrict at the love she felt for the man, and the love he apparently felt for her. Glancing down at her mother, she saw similar look in her eyes but it was overshadowed by self-doubt and hesitance as Snow had perhaps finally understood something of Emma that she had been trying to show her for months. Regardless, feeling their acceptance in the loving gazes focused on her face, she felt elated. Getting up, she helped Regina on her feet and keeping one of her hands in her own she stepped toward her parents, allowing them to engulf her in one of their trademark family hugs, her free hand awkwardly patting her mother's back. As they shared their 'I love you' David pulled away from Emma and came at the brunette standing beside the Savior, placing his hands on her shoulders. "You are an amazing woman, and it is fitting that Emma found her True Love in you, as you are the only one who can keep up with her," he spoke earnestly, before he pulled the stunned woman into a full-bodied hug, making Emma and Snow chuckle at her flabbergasted expression.

Next was Snow and Regina honestly didn't know what to expect from her once enemy turned friend. "It is amazing how we have come to the full circle," Snow whispered as she looked into the chocolate orbs she had once looked up to for many things. "But what you need to know is I trust you. I trust you with my daughter's heart because I know you; I know how deeply you love and how fiercely you protect those you love. And, welcome to the Charmings." Regina rolled her eyes at the younger woman before chuckling as she glanced toward Emma, her eyes filled with overwhelming affection for her.

"Can you keep Henry for tonight?" Emma asked as she took Regina's hand into her own. Hearing their affirmative answers, and after saying good night to their boy, each of them kissing and hugging him till he complained, they walked toward the newest queen in town and her sister. Emma, the Sheriff that she was, gave a warning to the platinum blonde, telling her she was lucky no one had died from her display of anger. After wrangling a promise to come in and sit down to talk about reparations for the town, Emma let Elsa and Anna leave, smiling at their hugged walk down the street, as the brunette sister talked a mile a minute filling in the older one on everything she had missed with the curse and all. Then, Emma turned toward Rumplestiltskin, who was standing alone as he watched the ruins and debris surrounding his shop.

"Can you fix this?" Emma asked him softly as she stood beside him, watching the destruction before her eyes.

"Not everything can be fixed with magic, Miss Swan," Rumple spoke tiredly, his voice oddly sounding dejected and old.

"Then fix what can, and I am sure in time everything else will come in its place, with a little bit of luck and plenty of hard work." She didn't mean to sound so vague, but during Belle's tries to rein the Dark One in, Emma had realized that the dagger in the young woman's hands was a fake, which opened a whole can of worms the blonde Sheriff didn't want to deal with, ever. Especially not, when Regina was finally happy. So she would not accuse him of setting Belle up, or even mention the dagger. If it was indeed the truth that he had the real one the whole time, it would come out eventually and they would deal with the aftershocks then, particularly the one where Regina would find out that he had cold bloodedly killed her sister, the only remaining family she had left apart from Henry, and now her.

Rumplestiltskin nodded at her sage advice and stepped toward the carnage, intent on getting to work immediately. Finally left alone, Emma took Regina firmly into her arms, and with a smile she whisked them away using the transportation spell for the first time in her life, appearing in her bedroom, beside the bed.

"Can I interest you in sharing a bath, my Queen?" Emma asked teasingly as the magic cleared, her flamboyant bow making Regina laugh as she shyly nodded, still awed at the incredible feat of magic Emma had managed only minutes after getting her power back.

But before the blonde could step away to prepare the water and such, the Mayor grasped one of Emma's forearms keeping her close, as she lifted her other hand to the Sheriff's face, tracing the cuts and scrapes on the side of it, taking in the damage for the first time. Of course she had seen the blood and the bruises the first time around, but she had been more concerned with getting them alive than with something that could be healed with a snap of her fingers. Gently she leaned in and kissed under the biggest cut, then she pressed her lips in the middle of Emma's forehead, feeling the blonde sag against her in content. Then she nuzzled their noses together, softly attaching their lips in a tame, but deeply loving kiss, pouring all her love, affection, yearning, into it, and the force of the feeling behind that simple peck made them breathless, their shuddering gasps warming each other's faces as they leaned their foreheads together. "I love you," Regina spoke and it was not only confirmation of their feelings and bond, it was absolution, it was a promise of forever and it was something that Emma had desired for her entire life. It was family, her very own family.

"I… I love you," Emma gasped, still unused to voicing her feelings so freely. She guided them to the huge bathroom, steering them toward the tub encased in tiles with two steps leading to it. The tub itself was large enough to serve as a small indoor pool, Regina smirked and it would do them just fine. There was a row of candles of the further wall, along with the shorter edges of it, and they let out a scent of lavender and honey even now, unlit. She looked around the space while Emma shrugged off her jacket and turned the water on and plugging the drain. Only when Emma turned around Regina realized that this was to be the first time they would see each other naked and the thought excited her immensely, although she did feel a slight edge of apprehension. It wasn't that she was a stranger to sex, or even to a woman's body, as sex appeal had been one of her most effective tools, after magic and fear, but intimacy with Emma – that would be her first time in making love, ever.

As if Emma knew what she was thinking about, and given the fact that they knew each other so well it just might be true, the blonde placed her hands on Regina's shoulders, the gentle palms gliding up her neck to her face, cradling it carefully as she leaned in, their eyes so very close. "Just a bath, just us relaxing in the hot water after a ridiculously filled day, together," she spoke softly, the breathed words caressing Regina's cheeks. "We are not going to rush this," the blonde confirmed gently as she slid her hands over the brunette's shoulders onto her back, pressing the woman into her as she embraced her. "This is new for me, too," she whispered into the inviting neck as she nuzzled her nose in the dark hair, feeling the woman tremble in her arms, as Regina circled her arms around her middle. "OK?" Feeling the nod, Emma squeezed the woman once more before stepping away to shut off the water.

While the blonde was turned away, Regina took off her coat, and slipped out her heels. As her hands went to her rumpled shirt, they were stopped by the Savior. "Let me. Please." The overwhelming desire and need in Emma's voice washed over the brunette as she lowered her hands on the blonde's hips. Slowly, drawing out each motion, the Sheriff unbuttoned Regina's shirt from the top down, gasping at the sight of black lace bra, gently pulling the tails out of the tailored pants. Leaving the shirt on, her hands went to the elegant belt but as she tugged on the Italian leather, Regina's hands deftly took care of her own shirt, wasting no time pulling it down over the blonde's shoulders. At the sight of one of Emma's tanks, Regina smirked. With care they took each other's clothes, not making any overture touches, happy to just look at the firstly seen plains, getting familiar with them. "You are so fucking breathtaking," Emma mumbled in a gasp as her eyes traced over her love's body, her gaze filled by lust, but it still wasn't leering. Regina felt the devotion in it and adoration was really hard to miss, and it stoked her already burning heat. No one had ever looked at her body as she was a work of art, a measure of perfection as Emma was at the moment. She had been a prize to be won, but never a gift to be cherished.

"So are you, my love," Regina replied, taking in the freckles, the imperfections, the scars and marks, and in her mind it did nothing to detract from Emma's beauty, moreover, it only enhanced the splendor that was the Savior. Each mark told a story, each scar was a boast that Emma had lived, survived everything that the life had thrown at her. Unable to stop herself, she traced the almost invisible lines beside Emma's left hip, the knowledge that they had been made by their son only making them that more precious. "Come," she whispered as she took the blonde's hand and slowly climbed into the deliciously scorching water. The Sheriff joined her, sitting behind her and with a light swipe of her hand, Emma lit all the candles, and turned the lights off, as she pulled the brunette to lean against her front, one arm going over Regina's middle, holding her close while the other leaned on the rim of the tub, tracing patterns on the brunette's forearm resting there.

Regina felt at peace. Safe, warm, with the person she loved, she was in heaven. And, judging by Emma's content sighs, she was too. So, when the water grew cold, they just moved to the bed, having put on the terrycloth robes, still holding to each other, enjoying the simple intimacy of their closeness, sharing a kiss or two, or many, while they talked – about the events of the day, their relationship, the future, Henry. Everything else would come later, for they were in no hurry, as they basked in their love.

However, come morning, Regina had enough of the slow burn making her blood sizzle. Especially when she woke up with her limbs entangled with Emma's, the blonde's knee deliciously pressing against her moist apex. Magicking away their robes, Regina pressed her lips on the corded neck below her, letting her tongue swipe out, her arousal ratcheting up when she heard Emma's moan as the woman shifted, offering more of her neck. The blonde's hands wound themselves into her dark hair, guiding her as Regina bit down gently, immediately soothing the sting with her lips and tongue. Rising up, Regina looked into the lazily opening green eyes, their pupils blown wide with desire and incredibly pleased with herself, the brunette spoke to the still dazed woman. "Good morning," she said, her voice low and husky, doing wonders to Emma's already flushed skin, as the blonde agreed with a lustful sigh. "Want to make it better?"

"Damn right," Emma grumbled, flipping them over suddenly, making Regina yelp and then giggle as the blonde settled over her, careful not to pin her down. "You are amazing," Emma spoke seriously as they were lost in each other's eyes and dove, taking Regina's lips in a passionate kiss, letting everything out, and gasped breathlessly when Regina responded with an equal, if not stronger, fervor. Safe to say, they did not leave the bed for a very long time.


	24. Epilogue

Epilogue

"I don't understand," Tinker Bell spoke as she sat in the front pew of the small church in the convent complex, looking down at her hands. She was leaning with elbows against her knees, the green polo shirt, emblazoned with the representation of the Sheriff's department's star above her heart as she shook her head, her hair put up in a flouncy pony tail, following her movement. "I thought Robin was her soulmate." She turned her head toward the Mother Superior sitting beside her. The deputy had come early in the morning, before her shift at the station to talk to her once teacher, as the events of past several weeks were constantly on her mind.

"He is," Blue spoke calmly, her hands placed in her lap as she was leaning back, slightly turned toward the former fairy.

"But, Emma is her True Love," Tink answered with confusion. She had witnessed the kiss herself, nine days ago, and it had left her flabbergasted beyond measure. Since then the news had circled the town, surprising most of the people, but some had only nodded once or twice knowingly before going on their own way.

"One does not exclude the other," the leader of the fairies spoke with patience. "There is a reason why young fairies are not allowed to handle the fairy dust in such ways. They still know too little of the ways of the worlds, and often they can misconstrue something, taking the results at the face value, and not with careful deliberation of its meaning. Before Tinker Bell could voice her disgruntled irritation at the lecture, the nun raised her hand and continued on. "True Love and soulmates are not the same. Sometimes, they can be, but that is very rare. Usually, soul mate is someone who is there regardless of the circumstances, who is there to listen and help, often coming into play when the person is at crossroads or in large emotional distress. It can be a person to love, even to marry, but first and foremost, it is someone to be trusted and someone who helps the other soulmate find their true path. And, Robin has done that, in quite the indirect way at first, but he has served his purpose. It is all part of Fate and Destiny, Gre… Tink." Blue smiled at her former student, her kind smile turning into a slightly mischievous one. "One cannot escape their fate, no matter what they use, be it fairy dust, a wish or even a curse to end all curses."

"So the curse was always meant to happen, and no matter what any of us did, it was still going to happen?"

"Yes, because it was all part of the greater plan. But, the small details that do not inflict a drastic turn in the course of destiny still could be changed. So when you helped Regina see who her soulmate was, you didn't know that she was already preordained to meet him several days after that, with one of the other fairies explaining to her the importance he would have in her life, making her run into denial. So, you stealing the dust could have been avoided, but you didn't want to listen." Patting the blonde's shoulder gently, Blue went on. "However, Neverland changed you, and for the better I must admit. You will always be one of us, Tink, but now, you are something more." Letting that sink in, the brunette dusted away invisible lint of her blue skirt continuing on only when she saw the prompting nod. "And, True Love is almost exclusively among couples, the only exception in history of the Enchanted Forest our resident Swan Mills family. You already know the basic things about it, as almost everyone does. But, it is not only about love, it is about balance, acceptance and strive to do better, be better for the other part of the couple, but it's also about being true to oneself, regardless of consequences. That is not easy as it sounds, and that is why True Love is the strongest magic of all and it is the light magic in its purest form, because it is built on trust and honesty as well as love."

"So when Regina met Robin in the Enchanted Forest, he was there to what? Annoy her?"

"To stop her from sinking into despair and to offer her a semblance of hope. He reminded her of Emma, and Roland of Henry, just enough for her to keep on fighting and living. Without that, even the challenge of the Wicked Witch wouldn't have been enough to help her overcome her broken heart." They all had seen the dark clouds that had followed the former Evil Queen since they had returned to the Enchanted Forest, and Tink had seen her hide from the others, Snow and David especially, meeting them only when it had been inevitable or when Snow would have enough of Regina's self-imposed exile to her chambers. Most of them thought that it had been all because of Henry, as the woman had stated plenty of times that he had been her everything.

"And, here, I pushed her to him, despite the fact that Emma was there the whole time," Tink added, finally understanding the point her former mentor was making.

"Was Emma really there?" The older woman asked pointedly, interrupting the blonde's guilt laden thoughts.

"What do you mean?"

"If someone is always talking of leaving, of going back, refusing to move out of the hotel because they didn't know how long she would stay – are they really here?" Although her question was more metaphorical than actual, Tinker Bell thought about it, trying to answer it. However, she could only agree with Blue's deduction that even though they would be present physically, they wouldn't be there emotionally. "Emma needed to realize that she had a home here first, to accept that she belonged in this town, before really coming to be here. And until that happened, Regina was essentially alone. Perhaps, they weren't supposed to be anything more than friends, but it did serve its purpose, it helped our Mayor to be more open to love and friends." Making her point, and seeing understanding in the kind eyes of her former student the fairy nodded, signaling the end of their chat. Rising, the Mother Superior smiled at the blonde. "I will see you tonight?"

"Yeah," the deputy answered, getting to her feet as well, taking in all the information. It made her relieved because she had felt uncomfortable for pushing her friend to the thief. Leaving the convent, she decided to walk to the office for her shift. That evening was a celebration that Snow had put together to rejoice her daughter finding her True Love, taking Ruby's joking offer of raising glasses to the new couple a bit too far. However, too high on whatever Emma was on; she had allowed it, with two stipulations. Party was not happening in her place or in Regina's mansion, and they were allowed to leave any time after the mandatory two hours. Tink had to chuckle as she remembered the downhearted look on Mary Margaret's face at that, having hoped to use Emma's new place as the party central. However, the new mother had bounced rather quickly, securing the Granny's for the night, getting the young werewolf to help.

As she walked in the Sheriff's Department, she sat at her desk, going over the reports, looking if they were up to Emma's standards, which just meant that they were up to Regina's. In all truth, the town had been extraordinarily quiet these past three days. Rumplestiltskin had repaired the damage around his shop and the shop itself, saving the town quite a huge chunk of money. The Merry Men, Robin and Marian included, had been hanging around the hospital, doting on their friends, John and Mulan, who had been kept there for the time being, Dr. Whale judging their injuries to be too great to let them leave, and it had nothing to do with Regina's order to keep them in as the chances of infection were far greater in the forest. As for Marian, the minute she learned that Regina had a True Love and that it was Emma, her acidic comments tapered off, even accepting the invitation to come to the party, promising to bring Roland.

Elsa and Anna had settled in just fine, the older sibling often amusing the youngest citizens of Storybrooke at the pond in the Storybrooke park, creating snow and ice in the middle of the warm summer day, while Anna had taken the responsibility of acclimating her sister to the new world's appliances and rules.

As for the happy couple, they couldn't be seen without a permanent smile, or in Emma's case, earsplitting grin, on their faces, more often than not spending time with each other, not really hanging out in the open, choosing to spend their evenings in alone, or more likely with their son, splitting their time between the two residences. Even during their regular working hours, they found plenty of excuses, yes Tink knew they were only excuses because for what other reason did Emma need to submit the budget report, already dealt with, she might add, three times in that many days, to see each other. And not all their visits were business related, the deputy snickered to herself, as she remembered Emma stumbling out of the utilities cupboard, the tendrils of magical mist still swirling around her, as she tried to fix her crumpled and lipstick stained shirt, avoiding her deputy's knowing smirk.

Nevertheless, it had been the accidental glimpses of the Swan Mills family that had helped convince everyone that the Sheriff and the Mayor actually worked together perfectly, despite the town's memories of their wars and battles from before. A subtle touch on the back as they were going in or out of the building, the unconscious shifting of their bodies to always keep the other in their sights, or close, the sincere laughter from the Madam Mayor, whom people had never hear laugh with such abandon and carefreeness before, the impossible open and happy smiles when they get texts or calls from each other… Tinker Bell had been at the mansion, having a weekly lunch with her friend, when Regina had received a message from Snow as she had learned later, the amused smirk and a light roll of her eyes were her only reaction to the impending party. Then came a text from Henry. And, it had been beautiful to watch how the already content brown eyes filled with bliss and affection for the boy and the corners of her lips crinkling in silent laughter as she had read the message. But, if a text from Henry had made Regina glow, a call from the Savior had made her outshine the Sun, the hard ass Mayor and reserved friend disappearing away, showing a joyously light and cheerful side of Regina, filled with so much love and delight that she had even outdone Snow friggin' White, the poster child for True Love, whose heart was literally strong enough for two.

"Hey, what has you up in the clouds?" Tinker Bell jumped at the voice coming from behind her, recognizing her boss instantly. She turned toward the Sheriff and frowned, rubbing the knee she had kicked at the desk.

"What are you doing here?"

"I work here," Emma spoke, dropping into her chair as she watched her deputy turned friend walk into her office.

"No, today you don't. You have a day off today, you know, to prepare for the party."

"Fine!" Emma groused, not able to hide her scowl as she leaned back. "I am hiding. Mom started talking about weddings and dresses, and flower arrangements complimenting summer or winter tones, and something about Blue being pro-love… I just had to get out of there."

Tinker Bell chuckled at her friend's plight and leaned against the desk patting Emma's shoulder. "Why aren't you at Regina's, then?" She asked a very logical question.

"She kicked me out," the Sheriff spoke dejectedly, as she crossed her arms on her chest. "Apparently, she was behind on some projects, and she needed to update several permits as soon as possible." Actually, the minute Emma had strolled in the office, the Mayor had risen from her chair, had stalked toward the blonde taking her by the lapels, and after kissing her so thoroughly and hard that Emma almost had come on the spot, she had said that despite her wanting nothing more than to continue that, she actually had had to work, and opening the door behind Emma, had pushed the blonde out, shooing her away. Only several minutes later, when Emma had been already on her way to the office, had she explained the reason for turning her away via text promising to make up for it.

As the smaller blonde exploded in laughter, Emma pushed her off her desk, knowing that she was in for some gentle ribbing. It was lucky that Ruby wasn't there to hear the story. "Oh my God, are you pouting? You are!" Tink said through her fit of laughter, Emma's sheepish expression making it even worse. "So, you came here to what?" she asked after a while, as her laughter tapered off into a chuckle here and there.

"Well, if the anal retentive Mayor was behind, then I must really be behind…"

"Actually, Regina has only herself in the office, while you have two deputies to pick up the slack, or in this case do your job for you." Quickly picking up the reports and notices, all already finished, only waiting to be submitted, she placed them on Emma's desk. "I did those, David did the computer stuff…"

"Hey, I know I am not much around these days…"

"Chill, Emma, it's OK." And, indeed it was alright, for seeing Emma's unshielded eyes, and Regina's honest smile, Tink would gladly do even more reports, and David… David would do anything for his daughter.

Two hours later, after having lunch together in the office, Emma had left to prepare for the party, leaving the deputy alone at the station to finish up the shift and lock up. As she would be still on duty, the fairy saw no point in changing from what she considered her uniform, but she did redo her hair, making it sleeker and ponytail more bouncy. Walking toward the diner, she smiled at the already large crowd of people inside, chattering over the light music, and greeting several of them, she went in search of a place to sit. But, to her great surprise, she found Killian nursing a glass of drink in the corner of the bar, away from most of the people, and directing herself toward him, she saw that almost everyone was already there, only the guests of honor and their boy missing. "Hey, there," she spoke just loud enough to be heard over the din.

"Ah, Deputy Bell, what a pleasure," the pirate spoke throwing his leering smirk her way. "Barkeep," he shouted waving the temp barman over, letting Tink order for herself. "Care to join me for a toast to the True Love?" Tink had expected him to be bitter or rancorous, especially here, but he seemed honest in his desire to cheer for the blonde who had left him. Her face must have shown him what she was thinking, and as he sniggered, picking up his glass, he explained. "I knew about them even before they did," he said with a wry smile, winking at the deputy. "Of course, it did hurt my pride that Swan didn't fall for my roguishly handsome looks, or for my dashing personality, I never wanted to take her away from her True Love," he added, nodding toward the passageway to the inn. Tink looked that way and saw the couple standing there, greeting the people who had come to the party as Henry rushed off to his grandparents, his uncle more of interest to him. Regina was sporting a gorgeous burgundy knee length dress that showcased her neck and shoulders, making her seem ages younger, as she stood beside the Savior while was currently engaged in talking with Kathryn. On the other hand, Emma was wearing a light muted green silk shirt paired with tan beige summer pants, her colors complimenting Regina's dress perfectly, while the shirt brought out Emma's eyes. Just looking at them, it was obvious that they were meant to be.

"So, you bowed out gracefully?" the blonde asked the pirate, sipping her fizzy water.

"Something like that, aye."

Half an hour later, Emma joined them, seeing Hook for the first time after their talk all those weeks before, and judging by the relieved smile on the blonde's face, they managed to reach a mutually agreeable position in each other's lives, already making plans to go on a fishing trip, Henry included, Hook making Emma laugh with his crass comment about the Queen having her taste for a specific fish. It was almost unbelievable how the Sheriff could mend and soothe the cracks in the relationships that were related to her, Tink considered as she watched her dark haired friend talk with Roland, crouching down to be at the level with him, under the watchful eye of his mother, making the boy laugh, and then starting a slightly uneasy conversation with the other brunette, and still hearing Emma's banter with her new buddy, chuckling as she realized that the Sheriff was lamenting the short supply of unrelated guys in town, because she needed someone to watch sports with, and with David and Henry she needed to mind her language, for one would scold her and the other would tell on her at the first available opportunity to the other parent.

And, as Snow started with a long, albeit humorous and teasing, speech detailing some of the most memorable showdowns in the history of Swan Mills relationship, making the whole diner laugh, and add with their own playful remarks, telling them of the journey the couple had undergone, even though they hadn't been together yet, the many times Emma had saved Regina's life, the times Regina had returned the favor, then with short overview of the missing year, the pixie haired woman slowly wound down, ending it with the events that led to the end of the Wicked Witch, masterfully avoiding gloating about it, as she was aware that Regina still had very mixed feelings about it. So, at the end, she led them into a toast that sounded much like a toast at the nuptials, "As your bond had helped you overcome impossible odds before, when you still didn't know you could fully count on each other, now that you know what it is and feel what it means, may your bond be the source of your strength, of unity, of power, and may it be everlasting. Emma and Regina!"

The whole diner, with no exceptions apart from baby Neal held in Henry's arms, cheered the names, lifting their glasses and saluting to the blushing women in the center of attention. But, as soon as the noise level dropped down, Leroy spoke loudly, his face turned toward his favorite monarch. "Hey, Snow, when are we going to have a do over for the marriage rites? I mean we are due for a wedding, aren't we, with all the happy endings around, yeah?"

His comment of course made Emma awash with redness, as she ignored Hook's joyous pats on her shoulder, feeling Regina hide her face in her neck, the heat radiating from her a tell sign of her own blush. Hence now that particular can of worms had been opened, Snow jumped in with her own suggestions, making the crowd laugh even more. Remembering Emma's comment from that afternoon, Tink wasn't surprised at all when the couple simply disappeared from the diner in the mist of purple, leaving the people to chuckle at the embarrassment of their prominent town figures. But she didn't doubt, not for a second, that the wedding bells were close. Perhaps not there quite yet, but in a year, or two, when they finally learned to navigate all their issues and insecurities, they would get wed. And what a glorious day that would be!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is it. I left it the same as it is on FFN, even though I plan to work on epilogue at some later point. Hope you liked it.

**Author's Note:**

> I am posting this as it was posted on FFN, but without the author notes I had there, as they are no longer relevant...


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